Intention
by In my home
Summary: Slash. My very own slash version of twilight. Aaron Swan wanted nothing more than to forget his demons. He decided that maybe moving to the rainy and dull town of Forks might help him even though it was the last place he wanted to be at. What he didn't know was that him and Forks were meant to be. Pairings: Edward/OC.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

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My eyes open and reality doesn't change. I am still in mortal danger and there is no escape. There is a sliver of hope that I will be rescued even though my brain is convinced death is moments away my stubborn heart still hopes.

But it is useless, my soon to be killer is moving towards me, taking small deliberate steps probably just to mock me. Why was this happening to me? Was it because I was finally happy? Because until recently I had been very happy and I think I was probably…..

.._falling in love._

Along with this thought came regret and unimaginable sadness. I wish I could have told him how much he meant to me. Maybe this was for the best, him not knowing, him _never_ knowing.

The killer finally stands in front of me with a gentle smile on his face.

I close my eyes and see _his _face.


	2. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: This is my first story so please enjoy and review if you can. English is not my first language so bear with my mistakes.**

**I wanted to try a slash version of twilight. I hope I don't make a complete mess out of this story.**

**I do not own twilight or its characters. They are the intellectual property of Stephanie Meyer.**

**Warning: This story will contain slash.**

**Chapter 1**

I woke up on my own which was an unusual occurrence. It was unusual because it was my Mom's daily ritual to wake me up at the crack of dawn, even on holidays; it was only rarely that she decided to let me sleep in. I lay in my bed thinking what today was? It wasn't my birthday nor had I done anything special to warrant this little treat.

It was when I sat up and saw the packed bags near my bedroom door did I remember what today was. Today was the day I left Phoenix. The day I was going to leave the valley of the sun to go to Forks, Washington. It was a place with virtually no sunshine and an endless supply of rain.

There was a moment when I thought I should just cancel going, Mom will certainly be relieved but then I remembered Charlie, my dad, and thought how happy he was that I was finally going to live with him for more than the compulsory one month of summer vacation that I used to spend in Forks at least till I was fourteen. Then I finally decided to make the fact public that spending time in Forks was not my idea of a vacation and practically forced Charlie to come spend time with me in Phoenix instead.

I walked out of my room to find clothes hanging for me on the door knob which was another unusual occurrence. My mother Renée wasn't the type of mother who would do such caring things. It wasn't because she was unloving but because it was usually the other way around. She needed people to take care of her. I wondered what could be wrong. Was it because she didn't want me to leave?

I was out of my room for all but two minutes when a shadow attacked my leg and I felt a little pain."Bella, would you please stop biting me." The shadow that was my tiny five-year old sister released my leg from the clutches of her small but surprisingly strong teeth and looked up at me." Are you really leaving?" Her wide eyes which were the same as our mother's and mine were fixed intently on my face."Yeah. I am."

Tears appeared in her eyes but didn't spill; instead she decided to bite me again and ran away. I sighed and went downstairs. My Mom was in the kitchen and as I entered she stood up with a smile and asked," What do you want for breakfast?" I looked at her for moment before replying, "Just cereal."

"Mom, why didn't you wake me up as usual?" I decided to ask before she could continue acting so unlike herself. She looked at me before shifting her gaze to her feet and mumbling something that sounded like 'May if I had let you sleep more…'. I rolled my eyes and said with some force" Mom! I am not leaving because of you! I am leaving because I want to."

She looked at me with pursed lips totally not completely believing the lie I had just told. I sighed again."Mom, I love you but this is something I want to do. I want to spend time with Charlie before I go on to college. I am his only son and this is the only chance I have." I said this with my most innocent expression and one that Mom always fell for.

It was her time to sigh. "I will miss you," she said adding,"So will Phil and Bella." I went and hugged her kissing the top of her head as I let her go."I know. Bella already gave me the hint when she bit me twice this morning," I said, smiling. Mom glared lightly at me and said," It's just a phase and it's her way to tell you that she is sad."

"Did I have a biting phase too?" I asked, curious. My mom shook her head and then laughed. "You had an imaginary friend phase though. You used to call him Bill who was five and already a doctor." I laughed with her and felt a trifle embarrassed." I bet Charlie doesn't know that," I said with a meaningful look at my mother.

"No, he does not and you have proven your point," she said with a nod. "What point?" I asked. She just gave me a look as a silent reply to my question. Well at least she finally believes that my leaving has nothing to do with them.

The truth is I am leaving for myself. I want to leave because I want to give myself a chance to let go of the past. Something I desperately want to do, I want to forget or at least come to peace with what happened. I looked at my mom's hair which had grayed prematurely at the temples. Although she dyed her hair at the moment the dye had washed out and the gray was visible a bitter reminder of the event which caused it to happen. I knew it would be hard to forget here.

Lost in my thoughts I failed to realize that Phil had come down with a giggling Bella in his arms. We all ate breakfast, after which I quickly went to shower and change. We drove to the airport together. At the airport I hugged my mom and Phil goodbye. When it was Bella turn, she latched herself at my legs and started crying. Before she would calm down I had to promise to come back soon and that I wouldn't forget her. Before I left she quickly handed me her favorite bear who she called Lamb. I asked her why she was giving it to me." It will protect you from monsters, Aaron,"she replied in a voice that seemed adult like.

I waved them goodbye and prepared myself to run otherwise I was going to be late. As I ran, with Lamb the bear clutched to my chest, I thought that going to Forks could either be the best or the worst decision of my life but at least I was sure of one thing. There could never be any monsters in Forks, even they would pass on living there.


	3. Chapter 2

**Authors note: Enjoy the new chapter. **

**I do not own Twilight.**

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**Chapter 2**

It's a four-hour flight from Phoenix to Seattle, another hour in a small plane up to Port Angeles, and then an hour drive back down to Forks. I don't mind traveling for long periods but the hour-long ride with Charlie had me worried. Both of us are silent types and I wasn't looking forward to the amount of awkward silences we were bound to share.

The flight from Phoenix was _unique _to say the least. I sat next to an elderly lady who, for some reason, started to tell me the story about some modern romance novel that she had read and after exhausting the topic fell asleep with her head on my shoulder. After this experience I promptly decided, awkward silences or not, the car ride with Charlie couldn't be as bad as the flight was.

When I landed in Port Angeles the rain greeted me and I had to remind myself that the rain was going to be a constant companion from now on. Charlie had come to pick me up in the police cruiser. He is the Chief of Police to the people of Forks. I decided then that I needed I car of my own, it would be so weird to be driven anywhere in that thing.

Charlie and I exchanged an awkward one arm hug. "Good to finally have you here Aaron," Charlie said, smiling," You have grown taller. How are Renee and little Bella?"

"Mom and Bella are doing fine Dad and so is Phil." Charlie just nodded as we both loaded my stuff in the car. When mom married Phil some six years ago, I couldn't tell what Charlie thought of him. Bella was born a year later and when Dad met her for the first (Bella was two) time he instantly liked her and since that time he thinks of Phil as a good guy, I think. Bella has a positive effect on people. I am missing her already.

"So, I got you a car."Charlie says and succeeds in pulling me out of my thoughts. "What?" Was the only thing I could say in reply to this revelation. "Yeah, I bought it from Billy Black. Do you remember him?" I couldn't and told him so.

"Well he is in a wheel chair now and offered to sell it to me." I was speechless but I couldn't raise my expectations."What type of car is it?" I asked cautiously."It's a Chevy. Billy bought it 1984." "Did he buy it new?"

"Uh...no I think it was new in late fifties or thereabout." Charlie admitted sheepishly."Dad I don't know a lot about cars and fixing them is expensive."

"Really Aaron don't worry about the truck, it runs fine. Billy took real good care of it."

I held in a sigh. I guess I will believe it when I see it. The rest of the ride was quiet and I spent it looking out at the scenery which was green,_ very_ green. It was beautiful but it wasn't Phoenix.

We finally arrived at Charlie's. He still lived in the same house that he and my mother had moved into after their marriage. It was the same small, two bedroom house that I remembered well from memory. However, parked on the street in front of the house was the truck Charlie had bought for me.

It was big with a faded red color and I didn't hate it. Now that I had seen it I had to agree with Charlie, if it ran I wouldn't need to worry about any repairs. It was one of those solid iron affairs that never get damaged. In fact I was willing to bet in an accident it would probably come out unscathed.

The more I looked at the more I liked it.

"Dad Thanks!" I said with a huge smile on my face."I like it!"

At least now I wouldn't have chosen to between walking to places in the rain or going around the cruiser feeling something beyond embarrassment.

"It's no problem," replied Charlie. I had probably embarrassed him by my enthusiasm.

We carried my stuff inside to my bedroom. It was pretty much the same as I remembered from my last visit. The only difference was that Charlie had gotten a second-hand computer. It was mom's idea so that we could exchange emails often.

Charlie left me alone to unpack. Another good thing about Charlie was the he didn't hover. I unpacked a few clothes but then decided to lie down on the bed. To my surprise I found that the mattress was new as was the bed spread. It felt comfortable as most new mattresses feel like. I was once again left speechless by Charlie's thoughtfulness and wondered what I could do in return. I came up blank but then decided if I found the opportunity I will show him my appreciation. Charlie will probably get flustered again.

After a while I decided to freshen up and took my toiletries to the bathroom Charlie and I were going to share. I just had the basic necessaries so it didn't require much space to be cleared out. I looked at myself in the mirror. I would say I was pretty average as far as looks went. I had Charlies head of thick brown hair that curled slightly and which I was happy to know wouldn't thin anytime soon thanks to Charlies genes. I had my mother's eyes and nose but my mouth and face structure seemed to have come from Charlies side of the family. When people see me with my mother they say I look I her, the same also happens when I am with Charlie.

As I stood there I wondered what school was going to be like, since Charlie had already enrolled me, and if I would fit in. Back home I didn't really have a group of friends and was typically called a loner. I didn't attract much attention to myself. Well, there was just that one time when an obnoxiously loud girl had asked me what I did to make my skin look so good. It doesn't sound like much but this was one loud girl and everyone in the hallway heard it and when I told her i didn't do anything to my skin she had called me a liar. Yeah,I had to endure some jokes on my expense for a while.

I came out of my musings to open the medicine cabinet and place my container of sleeping pills and pain meds inside. I stared at the containers for a while but before I could even begin to remember my darkest memories I shut the cabinet. It closed with a loud thud. I took some deep breaths and looked at my expression in the mirror.

I wanted to say that I looked fine but my eyes said otherwise. I covered them with my hand and shook my head. After a few minutes I went downstairs to check what was for dinner. Charlie had ordered pizza. He also asked if I was okay. I said I was just tired and to change the topic told him about the old lady on the plane. Charlie laughed out loud and his laugh transformed his entire face making him look much younger.

When the pizza arrived we ate in silence and then I went upstairs to get some sleep.

I lay in my bed trying to sleep but the constant downpour of rain made it a difficult task. Since I didn't want to take the sleeping pills I had a rough night and kept thinking if I had done the right thing coming here. My mind, as was always the case, gave me no satisfying answers.


	4. Chapter 3

**Enjoy the new chapter and please review this story. This is the first time I am writing a fan fiction so I need to know if I am doing something wrong. I don't even know what you guys think about this story. Reviews will be much appreciated.**

**I do not own twilight.**

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**Chapter 3**

I woke up feeling exhausted. When I looked out my window all I could see was fog and it made want to stay in bed all day. But I didn't listen to the lazy (depressed?) voice today and instead got up from my bed. The moment I stood up something fell down from the bed. I stared at the thing on the floor and slowly picked it up.

It was Lamb. Bella's parting gift to me. I felt heat flood my face. I had unknowingly slept with a teddy bear. I stared at the toy in my hand and then shoved it under my pillow. Well, it's my dirty little secret now. No one was going to find out about this, _ever._

I got ready and went downstairs to eat breakfast. I was surprised to find Charlie still at home. I thought he would have left early for work. We ate breakfast together and when I was getting ready to leave Charlie stopped me."How is your knee?" Charlie asked.

I just stared at him."Your mom told me it hurts when the weather changes."

"It's fine Dad. It didn't hurt when I woke up and that usually means it would be fine the entire day."I replied a bit too quickly." It doesn't bother me as much as mom thinks it does."

"Well your mom said to take you for a checkup if it bothered you too much."

"Don't worry Dad. That wouldn't be necessary."I said with a reassuring smile." Now can I go or have you decided I should stay home." I said with fake hope in my voice. Charlie just shook his head smiling and told me to go.

When I got outside I had to pull the hood of my jacket up because it was drizzling and it was also colder than I expected. I reached my truck and started the engine. It started with a deafening roar and I had to laugh. At least people will know I am coming when they hear the noise the truck makes. The car seemed to run fine and heated quickly too. It wasn't very fast but I thought that was a bonus since it will mean I could avoid the 'speeding is dangerous' lectures from Charlie.

I found the high school easily enough; it was just off the highway. It was just a bunch of brick buildings and didn't give off the institutional vibe I usually related to high schools. Since I had no idea where the student parking was I decided to park in front of the first building. It had a small sign over the door declaring it to be the front office.

Inside the office it was warm but the decor consisted of a lot of plants as if there weren't enough greenery outside. There was only a red haired woman behind the counter. When I came in she looked up."Can I help you?" As she asked this her eyes squinted behind her glasses.

"I am Aaron Swan." When I said this awareness lit her eyes and she gave me a smile. "Of course, I should have guessed." She then proceeded to show me my timetable and a map of the school. She then highlighted the best routes to my classes on the same map and handed me a slip which needed to be signed by each teacher and which I would have to bring back at the end of the day. After she finished explaining my classes she send me away with a good luck and said that she hoped I would fit right in. I didn't think it was appropriate to tell her my thoughts on the topic so I just stood there and smiled back at her.

When I left the office building a lot more kids had arrived and so I was able to follow the crowd and find a parking space. I noticed that a lot of cars were old like mine; the nicest car in the parking lot was a Volvo. When I got out of the truck I got a few stares but ignored them as best I could. I quickly glanced at the map and proceeded to my first class. It was English and it was being held in building three which was easy enough to spot after I got around the cafeteria. There was large 3 painted on a white square outside.

I entered the class behind a pair of giggling girls who hung their coats on a long row of hooks. I did the same and headed over to the teacher. He was a tall, balding man whose nameplate declared him to be Mr. Mason. After signing my slip he sent me to my seat at the back of the class without introducing me for which I was grateful. It was funny to see my classmates sitting in front of me trying to get a good look at me. Was a new face in a small town really that much of a big deal? I must be missing something.

The reading list was pretty much what I had done in my last school so I wasn't worried. When the class ended I saw someone approaching me. It was a gangly boy with skin problems and he looked tense for some reason. He had his mouth open but wasn't saying anything. People were beginning to stare and I think someone laughed but I didn't see who. So I decided to take pity on the guy and smiled.

"Hello, I am Aaron Swan. I am new here." As if he didn't already know but at least the guy visibly relaxed and returned my smile eagerly. "I am Eric. Welcome to Forks." We made small talk as Eric decided he will drop me off at my next class which was government in building six. He asked the typical questions about how I liked Forks and that it must feel very different from Phoenix. I replied with as much as enthusiasm as I could but it wasn't much. Eric either didn't notice or didn't care. It seemed like the entire student body was listening in on our conversation.

The rest of my classes were fine except trigonometry in which the teachers, Mr. Varner made me introduce myself in front of the class. I hate it when teachers do that. When it was my lunch hour a short girl with a large volume of hair who was in both my Spanish and Trig class came to me. She was trying to talk but stammered and became flustered so I smiled at her so that she would feel at ease and calm down. She invited me to sit with her friends at lunch.

During the walk to the cafeteria she talked non-stop and I had to wonder if I was doing the right thing by sitting at her table but it beat sitting alone. I felt like an animal in a zoo with the looks I was getting, if I sat with people it might lessen the stare syndrome that the students of Forks seemed to have developed.

It was in the cafeteria among the group of curious teenagers whose names had slipped from my mind as soon as they entered it when I first noticed them. I was just looking around the cafeteria when I spotted them sitting in the corner farthest away from me. There were five of them with five trays of uneaten food set in front of them. They weren't talking to each other, in fact they were all looking away from one another and none of them were gawking at me like people had done all day.

There were three boys and two girls. Of the girls one was tall and blond and with a figure that would make most girls jealous. The other was just her opposite, small and pixie like, with short dark hair that pointed in every direction. Among the boys one was big and muscular, the sort of guy you wouldn't want to be your enemy. Another was tall and lean and blond. The last was the smallest among the guys and more lanky and had untidy hair which was a reddish-bronze color that I hadn't seen on anyone and I wondered if he had dyed it.

Although each of them was different they were exactly alike. They were all very pale, the most palest faces of anyone in the entire cafeteria. They all had dark eyes with shadows under them as if they hadn't slept or were almost done recovering from a broken nose, though all their features were straight, perfect, and angular. And they were beyond doubt the five most beautiful people I had ever seen.

They had faces that belonged in magazines or movies. They didn't seem real but they were. As I watched the small pixie like girl stood with her tray of uneaten food with grace that belonged on a runway. I watched her almost dance but in fact she was just disposing of her tray. Staring at them, sitting apart from everyone else, I felt curiosity bubble inside myself. I had also been infected me with the stare syndrome.

"_Who are they_?" I asked the girl from my Spanish class . She looked up to see who I was talking about when the bronze haired boy looked up at her and then quickly to me. Too late he caught me staring before I could look away. I felt the heat of embarrassment reach my face and decided that maybe I had done enough staring.

"Those are the Cullen kids." She answered giggling."That's Edward and Emmett Cullen and Rosalie and Jasper Hale. The one who left was Alice Cullen; they all live together with Dr. Cullen and his wife." I took a quick glance at their table. The bronze haired boy was tearing his bagel into pieces all the while talking very quickly but the others were still looking away.

"Well they all look like they belong on a runway." This was my way of saying that they were beyond good-looking. "I know!"The girl answered, excited."They are all together though, Emmett and Rosalie and Jasper and Alice and they all live together." Her tone held all the condemnation of a small town and I had to wonder if that's how they talked about my mom when she left Charlie.

"None of them look related." I stated.

"That's because they are not. Dr. Cullen and his wife are really young. They are all adopted. The Hales, the blonde ones, are twins though and they have been with Dr. Cullen and his wife since they were eight. Mrs. Cullen is like their aunt or something."

"That's nice of them to take care of all those kids being young themselves." The girl besides me just shrugged and said" Yeah kind of. I guess Mrs. Cullen can't have kids of her own." I got the vibe that she didn't like the Cullens much and had to wonder why? Was it jealousy?

"They moved here didn't they?" I asked since I would have remembered seeing them or hearing about them since they sort of stuck out.

"Yeah, they moved here two years ago from somewhere in Alaska." As I guessed they were outsiders like me. Was this why they were treated so differently? That couldn't be it, I was also new and everyone seemed to be giving me too much attention even though I didn't deserve this degree of interest.

All the while I was learning the about the Cullens I didn't look at their table once but now I did and was startled to find my stare returned. It was the red haired kid and he looked frustrated for some reason. "Who is the one with the red hair?"

"That's Edward Cullen. The only one without a girlfriend, apparently he doesn't date, none of the girls here are good enough for him." This was said in a sour tone and I wondered when he had shot her down.

When I looked at their table again they were leaving. They moved gracefully even the big one. It was a bit weird to watch.

When lunch ended a girl from my table had biology with me and so we left together. She kindly reminded me that her name was Angela and that the girl from Spanish was called Jessica. I blushed and wondered how she figured out I had forgotten their names. Maybe I was just easy to read.

When we entered the biology class Angela went and took her place beside her lab partner. In fact every chair in the room was occupied except one. It was next to Edward Cullen who was instantly recognizable by his hair.

I went up to the teacher to have my slip signed. The teacher Mr. Banner thankfully also didn't bother with the introduction to the classroom crap. As I was going towards my seat I wondered what I would say to Cullen about whom I had just been learning the town gossip about.

I sat down on my seat and turned towards Cullen with a smile which instantly died on my face. If I had paid attention earlier I might have avoided looking at him completely. The expression on _his face! _It held such anger and revulsion that I had to cringe back. I don't know why he was acting like this; it was as if he found my presence to be physically revolting.

I avoided looking straight at him for the rest of the class but I couldn't help but glance quickly in his direction from the corner of my eyes. He had positioned himself away from me as far as he could manage and his hand was clenched in a tight fist, the muscles on his arm bulging. I realized with horror that Edward Cullen was not nearly as small as I had thought.

The rest of the class I couldn't concentrate at all on what Mr. Banner was saying, the topic seemed familiar but in my present situation I couldn't care less if he was teaching it in French. I was preparing myself for the moment Cullen will decide to throw the first punch surely he couldn't hold in his hatred any longer. I was so stressed out that my knee gave a jolt of pain. This happens when I stress myself too much so I tried to calm myself but it was impossible.

But I didn't need to wait any longer. The bell rang and before I could even blink Cullen was out of his chair and walking towards the door towering over the rest of the students. He wasn't nearly as small as I thought he was when I was comparing him to his hulk of a brother. I sat there for a while my body relaxing and the pain in my knee subsiding to a small throb that I could easily manage.

Suddenly I realized someone was talking to me. I looked up to see a blonde boy from my class looking concerned."Hey, are you alright?" I collected myself quickly and told him I was fine and that it was just an old knee injury acting up. Apparently my mind had decided to forget about the 'Cullen incident'. Maybe I had misjudged Jessica dislike for the Cullens as jealousy. Maybe they all were giant assholes.

I was walking with the boy, whose name was Mike , to P.E which was also his next class. Mike was talking something about being from California and rain while my mind was still stuck on Cullen.I was convinced that Edward Cullen must have a rotten personality when Mike said," So what did you do to Cullen? Shove him with a pencil or something?" I feigned ignorance," The boy who sat next to me? I didn't do anything to him." "Huh, I haven't seen him act that way before. He looked like he was in pain." I didn't say anything.

In my old school P.E was only mandatory for 2 years. Here it was mandatory for all four. I held in multiple sighs thinking about all the P.E lessons that I had to look forward to. It wasn't that I was bad, I was alright but it just wasn't my thing.

When we entered the gym Mike went to the coach and told him about my knee. I wanted to punch him then. Coach Clapp made me sit out and just observe and this obviously meant I was an easy target for the stares of my classmates.

But for once I was able to ignore the looks with perfect ease my mind occupied with Cullen's odd behavior. If Mike was to be believed this wasn't how Edward Cullen normally acted which meant what exactly. As far as I know I hadn't done anything to him other than exist so what was his problem? Ugh, maybe I should have punched him.

When P.E was over I quickly left to the parking lot. I needed to get out of here but then I remembered the slip I had to hand back in and turned around with a groan. I went towards the front office quickly but when I entered the counter was busy. It was Edward Cullen who was trying to transfer out of sixth hour biology to any other class.

As I listened to Edward reasoning with the receptionist in his smooth voice I thought to myself angrily this couldn't possibly be about me. I had just come to Forks yesterday and this was the first time I had met Edward in my life. So what was it about me that he couldn't bear to spend a single class in my presence.

As he stood there still arguing the door opened and a girl came in to place some papers in the wire basket. But this was all that took for Cullen's back to become stiff and he turned to glare at me and I had to flinch back. He had a handsome face but it was so distorted by his anger that he looked positively tyrannical.

He turned back to the receptionist and apologized and quickly made his exit. I just stood there frozen as he passed me. The receptionist, the same woman from the morning, looked at me with concern and inquired if I was feeling alright. I lied and told her I was alright and that I was just tired from traveling yesterday. I handed in my slip and left. In the drive back home I got a killer headache.

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	5. Chapter 4

**Enjoy the new chapter. Reviews will be greatly appreciated.  
**

**I do not own twilight.  
**

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**Chapter 4**

As I drove to school the next day I was mentally preparing myself for a confrontation with Edward Cullen. I will demand to know the reasons behind his behavior yesterday. I mean I hadn't done anything so why had I been at the receiving end of such hostility.

Truth be told I had never fought with anyone. I mean I am not the type to argue and I rarely get angry. But this thing with Cullen had gotten to me. If there was a rational explanation for his actions I will gladly hear it. I didn't want to spend an entire semester with a lab partner who has developed some spontaneous dislike for me.

I had just parked my car and was about to leave when I saw Rosalie Hale coming out from the Volvo parked directly behind my truck. I instantly bend my head down and pretended to check my bag for something. This was not cowardice. It was _not._ Maybe, it was, a little. I was in no hurry to confront Cullen and I specially didn't want to do it in front of his intimidating brothers or a parking lot full of students. I would lose my nerve.

By the time I looked up the Cullens were nowhere in sight. I stepped out of my car to get to my class. Today seemed to be going better for me, at least for now. In English today Mike passed around funny notes to the class when Mr. Mason wasn't looking and I realized that Mike was probably well liked at school.

In Trig and Spanish, Jessica kept talking to me and I found it distracting. I wanted to understand this stuff in one go so that later I wouldn't have a headache over doing homework. When class finished it seemed like I would be getting that headache. Jessica and I went to the cafeteria together and when we first entered I avoided looking at the corner table. I was following Jessica to her table where we were intercepted by Mike who asked us to sit at his table. Altogether we made a large group.

When I had settled down I peeked towards the Cullen's table. There were only four of them. Edward wasn't there. I had thought he must be late or something but he hadn't shown when lunch had ended and when I entered the biology classroom he was still not present. Sitting alone at our table I wondered if it was because of me he was absent. I almost laughed out loud at the thought, something else must have happened and that must also be the explanation for his peculiar behavior yesterday. But the idea that I had something to do with Cullen's disappearance didn't completely leave my mind.

Gym went fine today. We played volleyball and though my knee wasn't bothering me a lot of people avoided hitting the ball in my direction. I suspected Mike had said something about my knee to the others. This annoyed me but I couldn't do anything about it, Mike was probably just trying to be nice.

In the cab of my truck I checked my wallet. I needed to go to the Thriftway since I discovered last night that Charlie didn't cook and the house was low on food supplies. As I drove away a lot of people looked my way because of the truck's thunderous engine but I could easily see that I even had the attention of the Cullens, their stares seemed to follow me and I couldn't help but read into it.

After getting all I wanted at the Thriftway I came home and started to make dinner. I didn't want to appoint myself as the house chef but I had more experience in cooking. It was all thanks to my mom's weird recipes, not all of which were edible, that I decided to learn to cook. But after she married Phil she became a bit more responsible in her cooking so I didn't do it a lot anymore. Plus in this way I might be extending Charlie's life by a few years, all that take out cannot be good for him.

Charlie came home just as the food was done being cooked. I went to greet him and froze. He was hanging up his gun. Charlie looked at me suddenly alarmed and said, "I will go keep it in my room." He was just about to take it down when I remembered to breathe." Don't, it's alright Dad. Just come and have your dinner." He looked at me for a while and nodded. I went back into the kitchen knowing full well that when I came out again the gun would be gone.

I held my head in my hands. Why do I have to overreact like this? Charlie was my father and he was a cop. Of course he has a gun but it's for protection, I knew that and yet. I needed to get over my fear; I didn't want to worry my parents anymore. I didn't want to be weak. I knew that I was going to start panicking so I did what my therapist had told me to do in such situations. I needed to concentrate on the good; I needed to remember my best memories. Almost all of them included Phoenix and my mom's silly antics and Bella's attempts to copy our mom and Phil's diligence in trying to make me a sport junkie.

When Charlie came into the kitchen I was calm. I had to say something to diffuse the tension but Charlie apparently had the same idea." You cooked?"He asked, a bit wearily. He must remember mom's cooking."Yeah. Its steak and potatoes and it might not be that good. My cooking is a little rusty."

But Charlie looked relieved just by hearing that he was going to be eating normal food. During dinner he asked about school and I told him that everyone was nice and that I made a few friends. He nodded and I decided that since the topic was on school I would just ask Charlie about the Cullens.

"Dad, do you know the Cullens?"

"Dr. Cullen and his wife. Yeah, what about them?"

" Well their kids go to school with me and they don't seem to fit in."

This little sentence is all that took for Charlie to blow up. He started going on about what a good doctor Dr. Cullen was and how the town was lucky to have him."It was lucky that his wife prefers small town life compared to the big cities and she is right towns are much safer. And their kids are all well behaved. I had thought that all those teenagers might cause some trouble but they are all very mature, compared to some kids of people who have lived here for generations. The people in this town should find something better to talk about."

It was longest I had ever heard him talk." Dad calm down. All I meant was that they are all very good-looking, that's all." Charlie visibly relaxed and let out a chuckle."You should see the doctor. It's a good thing that he is happily married a lot of the nurses a hard time concentrating when he is around."

After this episode our dinner was relatively quiet and after we had finished eating I did the dishes. As I was going up, Charlie called up the stairs."Aaron did you talk to your mother?" I had completely forgotten."No, Dad. I was just going to. Goodnight." I didn't wait for Charlie's reply and ran up the stairs. In my room I switched on the computer and waited for it to start. When it did I had to wait for the internet to connect.

When I finally opened my email I discovered multiple messages from my mother. Each one contained fewer words that the last and the last one contained the threat that if I did not reply immediately she was going to call Charlie. I quickly replied to her messages and told her to relax and that I was fine. Then I proceeded to tell that Forks was the same as always. But I had made friends and that it wasn't so bad. I hope she buys this but something told me I was cutting it close.

The next day when I woke up Charlie had already left early. I ate breakfast alone and wondered if Cullen would show. I didn't have to worry. Cullen was a no show. In fact he was absent for the rest of the week. Maybe he wasn't feeling well or he had left. I couldn't know for sure but one thing was certain to me no one commented on Cullen's unusual absence. At our lunch table the topic was predominantly settled around a trip to La push beach that Mike was organizing in two weeks time. I tried not to think about Edward Cullen's absence but I must admit I failed at it.

When the weekend finally arrived I spent it doing my homework and chores around the house. Since Charlie wasn't used to staying home on the weekends so I was left on my own. With nothing else to do I read some books that I had bought. They weren't any genre in specific, I liked variety. There was a time when I didn't read books at all. But then I joined this book club because my neighbor, the girl I liked was in it. She was a fan of the classics and I read them just so we could have something in common to talk about since she was two years older than me.

Though thinking about her is very painful because of what happened but this is one of the safer memories I have of her. I can think about them and not have a breakdown. Now I don't read the classics unless until it's for class. But I couldn't stop reading; I guess the habit grew on me.

I went to bed on Sunday night after popping in a sleeping pill. I didn't take them much; I didn't want to rely on them but sometimes I knew I would need one and I desperately didn't want a nightmare. I went to sleep instantly and woke up in the morning.

By Monday I was used to all my classes and could probably name everyone I saw. I was doing well in all my classes except those that included Jessica in them. Today I was called out by Mr. Varner for not paying attention when I couldn't solve the equation he had just explained. Jessica looked at me apologetically and I hoped she would stay quiet from now on.

However I found another reason to detest Forks. It had started to snow. I had groaned when I had seen it while all the people around me had expressed delight. My friends found my hate of snow amusing and while I was trying to safely make my way to the cafeteria they kept throwing snowballs at me. A lot of them got me too. By the time I entered the cafeteria I was shivering a little.

Out of habit I checked the corner table and froze. There were five of them here today. They were laughing. Emmett Cullen was shaking the snow out of his hair while Rosalie and Alice ducked to avoid getting wet. Jasper and Edward were laughing not caring that they too were getting hit. They looked like normal teenagers. Like normal teenagers from a film scene.

It was only when Mike bumped into me that I realized that I had stopped in the middle of the lunch line. I had lost my appetite so I only took a soda. "Aren't you hungry?" Jessica asked, worried."I tend to lose my appetite when I am constantly assaulted by snowballs." Everyone laughed. I looked over at the Cullens table to find Edward was looking at me again. I looked away quickly but not before I had noticed how different he looked.

The bruise like shadows had receded and his skin had looked flushed because of the snow. There was something else I couldn't put my finger on but the main thing was he didn't look at me like he did last Monday. He looked curious again and maybe a little unsatisfied.

"Edward Cullen is looking at you." Jessica said."He doesn't look angry, does he?" I almost whispered.

"No, should he be?" Jessica asked confused by my question." I don't think he likes me very much."

"The Cullens don't like anybody…well they don't notice anyone enough to like them. But he is still looking at you." "Stop looking back. I guess I will find out what he wants in Biology." Jessica did and I also avoided looking back at the Cullens.

When lunch ended I dreaded going out again because I was sure to be a target for snowballs. But luck was with me on this one. It had started to rain again. I reached the class before Edward had and sat down. I started to doodle on my notebook and didn't notice when he had entered. I was alerted to his presence when he sat down. I wasn't planning on saying anything but Cullen had other plans.

"Hello," he said in a voice that seemed almost musical. I looked up surprised that he was talking to me. He was still sitting as far away from me as the table allowed. His hair was dripping wet but even so he looked like he had just finished filming a commercial for hair gel. He was smiling and looked friendly. It was as if last week hadn't happened at all.

"I am Edward Cullen," he continued."I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Aaron Swan."

Wow. So we were going to pretend nothing happened.

"Yeah?" I replied, a bit hesitantly so that it ended up sounding like a question. Since he was being polite now I thought maybe last week something must have happened to him and he must have been angry about something else.

He looked like he was about to say something else but Mr. Banner started the class at that moment. So I looked away and tried to concentrate on what Mr. Banner was saying. We had to identify the slides we were given and label them according to the different phases of mitosis they were in. I had already done this previously but not with onion root tip cells but I was still confident that I would get it.

"How about you go first, partner?" Edward said with a crooked smile on his face. I took the first slide and pushed it in place under the microscope. Yes, I could do this easily."Prophase," I said confidently."Do you mind if I look?" he asked just as I was removing the slide. His hand caught mine, to stop me, from removing the slide. I jerked my hand away. His hand was cold, like he had just removed it from a freezer. But that wasn't the reason I jerked my hand away, when he touched me it felt like an electric current went up my arm.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, pulling his hand back immediately. But he still checked the slide again.

"Prophase," he agreed and wrote down the answer neatly in the first space of the worksheet. He then swiftly changed slides. He just glanced at it for a second and wrote down anaphase on the sheet."Do you mind if I look?" I said mimicking his words. He looked up, surprised and nodded. I checked the slide and to my disappointment discovered that he was right. I didn't say anything and just changed slides.

"Interphase." I said and passed him the microscope. He took a swift peek and wrote it down. His writing was so neat it looked almost like calligraphy. I had a childish impulse to mess it up but held it in. he could write all the answers if he wants.

We were finished before anyone else and as I glanced around the room a saw that a fair bit of cheating was going on. I looked at Cullen again to find that he was staring at me, again. He looked frustrated and I realized what was different about him.

"Did you get contacts?" I blurted out before I could stop. "No," he replied, puzzled by my question. But I was sure his eyes were different. I would know, last week it was his strange dark eyes that were glaring a hole in my head. But now they had changed, they looked a strange ocher: darker than butterscotch but with the same golden tone. I didn't know what to think, he didn't have any reason to lie. Unless he was doing it just to mess with me. There was no way I could let my guard down with this guy.

Mr. Banner came to check on us to see why we weren't doing the lab. He looked at our finished lab and then checked the answers."Edward, didn't you think Aaron should have gotten a chance with the microscope?" I felt slightly insulted that he would think Edward had done the lab alone.

"Aaron, actually, identified three out of the five." Mr. Banner looked at me."Have you done this lab before?" I nodded." With Whitefish blastula."

"Were you in an advanced placement program in Phoenix?" I nodded again in reply."Well," he said after a moment."It's a good thing you two are partners then." He went away mumbling to himself.

"It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?" Edward asked but it seemed like he was forcing himself to make small talk with me." Not really." I answered. I couldn't understand him; I wish I knew what he was thinking. He seemed uncomfortable and his hands were clenched into fists again.

"You don't like the cold." It wasn't a question.

"Or the wet."

"Forks must be a difficult place for you to live."

"You have no idea," I muttered. I didn't know why I was being so honest with him. When I looked at him he looked fascinated by what I had said, I didn't think it was that interesting.

"Why did you come here, then?"

I didn't know what to say in reply to this, the answer was so personal." It's complicated."

"I think I can keep up," he pressed. I looked around my mind was coming up blank. "My mom is moving to Jacksonville." It was the first thing that came to my head and it wasn't a complete lie. My mom and Phil were only discussing it since Phil had got a job offer there recently. Edward looked confused."She and Phil, my step-dad, are moving to Jacksonville with my sister Bella."

"So they wanted you out of the picture." He surmised, but his tone was kind and sympathetic.

"No, it's not like that. They have been married since I was twelve and then Bella was born. It's just that they were deciding to move and I thought it would be a good idea to come and see Charlie, my dad, before going to college.""So you send yourself here and you are still unhappy," Edward said. Suddenly he looked at me and said,"You are lying, aren't you? There is another reason, isn't there?"

His eyes were intently fixed on my face and I am sure he saw the surprised expression on my face. If he could catch my lies so easily I might as well tell him a little truth. "Yeah, there is." I stopped here; there was no way I was going to give anything else away.

He became frustrated again for a moment but then he fixed me with an appraising stare." You put on a good show but I bet you are suffering more than you let anyone see."

I was becoming annoyed at how easily he was seeing through me."Why do you care?"

"That's a very good question," he muttered this so lowly it seemed like he was talking to himself.

"Am I annoying you?" he asked, suddenly sounding amused.

"I am more annoyed at myself. I didn't know I was so easy to read."

"On the contrary I find you hard to read." His tone seemed sincere so I believed him.

"You must be a good reader then."

"Usually."He smiled widely, flashing a set of perfect, ultra white teeth.

Mr. Banner called the class to attention then and that seemed to be the end of our conversation. From the corner of my eye I could see him leaning away from me again, his body becoming tense. I let my mind wander on our conversation and couldn't decide what to make of Edward Cullen. He had learned quite a bit about me from this conversation but he still remained a mystery.

When the bell rang Edward exited the classroom as quickly as he had last week. Mike joined me out side complaining about how difficult the topic was." You are lucky to have Cullen as your partner."

I looked at him annoyed." I have done this lab before so Cullen didn't do all the work."

"Okay, dude chill. Cullen seemed alright today though," Mike said trying to the change the topic.

"Yeah, I don't know what his problem was last week." But I couldn't concentrate on Mike's chatter and only half listened. In gym I tripped because I couldn't pay attention and a lot of people became concerned about me. I had to reassure a lot of people that I was fine.

When the school finally ended I was ready to go home. While I was backing out with my truck I saw Edward Cullen leaning against his Volvo and staring in my direction. I almost hit a Toyota because I became distracted again. I could hear Edward Cullen's laughter follow me as I left the parking lot. I felt a headache coming and again the cause was Cullen, who could be a possible friend or psycho, I had yet to find out.


	6. Chapter 5

**Enjoy the new chapter. Please review, your opinions will be much appreciated.**

**I do not own twilight.  
**

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**Chapter 5**

I woke up in the morning to pain. My knee was killing me. I had to wait a while, as the throbbing pain settled into something more manageable, before standing up. I think I knew why the pain in my knee started up and sure enough when I looked out the window my suspicions were confirmed.

Everything was covered with snow and I could see that all the rain from yesterday had frozen solid. It will be a nightmare to drive to school today. But that wasn't going to stop me; I had to go to school. I went to the bathroom and opened the cabinet and took out my pain medication. But I couldn't bring myself to take them. I hated them. They were a constant reminder of the fact that things weren't fine; they were proof that my knee had been shattered and even though the bone had healed the pain still returns. They were proof that I was different, that I was damaged.

I placed the meds back inside the cabinet and went downstairs although a little voice in my head that sounded like my mother's said that I would regret not taking it. I usually don't listen to that voice even though it's usually right. I ate breakfast quickly, anxious to get to school.

I will never admit this but I was excited to go. I had thought the day will never come that I would feel excited to go to school in Forks but it had and it had a lot to do with Edward Cullen. I had never really felt curious about another person as much as I felt about him. I wanted to figure him out. Why is he so strange? And what did he want from me.

Yesterday when I had wondered why the Cullens weren't more accepted by the people here I had come to the realization that it must be them who chose to exclude themselves. There could be no other reason for it, they just didn't want to have friends and so they didn't.

Yet for some reason Edward Cullen had talked to me, shown interest in what I had to say. And I wanted nothing more that to find out why? Why was Edward Cullen deviating from what I have seen to be the normal Cullen behavior of alienating themselves from others. I just had to find out.

I drove carefully but realized my truck wasn't having much trouble on the roads. When I parked my car in the school parking lot I saw Edward Cullen standing beside his Volvo, four cars down from mine. When I got out of my car I slipped and my knee reacted badly to it. I winced and realized grimly that maybe I should have taken the meds. Oh well, it was too late now.

I stood up slowly and got distracted again. There were snow chains on the truck's wheels. I felt gratitude fill up my chest. Charlie must have gotten up pretty early to put them on. Charlies concern caught me by surprise as it had always done. I felt glad to have Charlie as a dad, I knew about some kids whose fathers kept no contact with them whatsoever after their parents split up.

I was wondering if I should agree to go on one of his fishing trips together, even though they were dead boring, to show my appreciation when I heard a odd sound. It was a loud screech and I looked up startled.

The adrenaline in my body kicked in instantly. I saw a van that was skidding wildly and was on a direct collision path with my truck, with me in between them. I turned my head and my eyes fell on Edward whose shocked face stood out among those of everyone else. I only had enough time to close my eyes when something hit me but from the opposite direction that I was expecting. My head cracked on the icy black top as the wind was knocked out of me.

Something had me pinned to the ground and I found myself lying on the pavement beside the tan car I had parked next to. But before I could do anything, the van, which was still spinning and sliding was curling around the end of the truck and was coming towards me. I cursed at the same time the person beside me uttered an oath. It was only then I realized someone was there with me.

I knew only one person who had such a musical voice. Two long, white hands shot out before me, shielding me, and the van shuddered to a stop a foot from my face, the hands making a dent in the side of the van. His hands moved with blurring speed. One was gripping under the body of the van meanwhile something was dragging me as if I weighed next to nothing. Then the van settled with a metallic thud exactly where my legs were a second ago.

The silence lasted just for a second and then the screaming began. People were shouting my name but I didn't care. Edward Cullen was speaking in a low frantic voice."Aaron? Are you alright?" I was about to say I was fine when I noticed the pain. An ache had started above my left ear but my knee which hurting before all this was really protesting. I grabbed my knee and began to rub it.

"You hurt your leg?" Edward asked, still worried."No, I am fine. Don't worry." "Don't touch it, what if it's fractured." Edward grabbed my hand and pulled it away from my knee. It was then that I noticed that his other hand was around my waist. I blushed at our proximity and tried to get some space between us but Edward wouldn't budge.

"My knee is fine, its pain from an older injury, it was hurting anyway." Edward still didn't move." I am fine Edward, so you can let me go now." I said with more force. I felt Edward release me and move as far away as the limited space allowed."What about your head?" "It's hurting a little but I don't think I hurt it too bad." I looked up at Edward and then did my brain finally comprehend the reality of what had just occured.

"How did you get here so fast?" I asked, my voice expressing all my shock. Edwards face turned hard." I was standing right next to you, Aaron."

He was next to his car; I even remember his shocked face so clearly. But before I could say anything else people started to shout at us. There was a flurry of activity around us. Someone instructed us not to move."Get Tyler out of the van!" someone shouted. I tried to stand up but Edward stopped me.

"Just stay put for now."

"It's cold and I remember you standing next to your car." I said, somehow sounding both annoyed and persistent at the same time. "You must be confused. I was standing right next to you, Aaron, and pulled you out of the way."

I looked at him angrily and he glared right back. "I know what I saw and you better give me a good explanation for it." Edward sighed. "Not now Aaron, Please." "Fine, later then." He just gave me an exasperated look.

It took six EMT's and two teachers to sift the van far enough to bring the stretchers in. Edward refused his but the traitor told them that I hit my head and that my knee hurt. They put me in a stretcher to my embarrassment but I refused the neck brace. When the EMT still persisted I glared at him." I can go with you the easy way or the hard way, which do you prefer?" The EMT put the brace away and mumbled, "His head seems fine to me."

Before they could load me on to the ambulance Charlie arrived. He looked sick with worry and I wondered if he was remembering the last time he saw me being carried away on a stretcher." I am completely fine Dad." I said reassuringly." There is nothing wrong with me." He turned to the closest EMT for a second opinion. They finally loaded me into the back of the ambulance, while Edward got to ride in the front. This was so unfair.

When we reached the hospital Edward simply walked through the front doors while I was accompanied by hospital personnel all inquiring if I felt any serious pain. I wished he would trip on his feet but of course that didn't happen. In the emergency room a nurse put a pressure cuff on my arm and a thermometer in my mouth.

There was another commotion of hospital staff, another stretcher was bought in. The occupant was Tyler Crowley a boy I recognized from my Government class. His head was bloody and wrapped around in bandages. He was looking at me anxiously."Aaron! I am so sorry."

"I am fine, Tyler, you look much worse. Are you alright?" He ignored me."I thought I was going to kill you! I was going too fast, and I hit the ice wrong." He kept wincing in pain while I told him that it was alright, he had missed me."How did you get out of the way? You were there and then you were just gone…"

"Edward Cullen pulled me out of the way." I tried to say it with confidence but I don't know how convincing I sounded. Tyler looked confuse."Who?" "Edward Cullen – he was standing right next to me."

"Cullen? I didn't see him…. Wow, it was all so fast, I guess. Is he okay?"

"He is fine. They didn't even put him on a stretcher."

They wheeled me away to get an x-ray of my head and my knee even though I explained to them that it was hurting because of an older injury. But my words fell on deaf ears. The x rays revealed that everything was fine and I asked if I could go but the nurse said I still needed to see a doctor. So I was stuck in the here next to a hurt Tyler who kept apologizing every other minute. Finally I closed my eyes; if he thought I had fallen asleep he might shut up.

"Is he sleeping?" I opened my eyes to see Edward standing at the end of my bed."Hey, Edward, I am really sorry -"Tyler began but Edward cut him off."No blood, no foul." He said with a smile that showed his white teeth. He sat down at the edge of Tyler's bed, facing me. "So, what's the verdict?"

"Oh it's nothing they just think I may have a tumor in my head." Tyler looked at me, shocked, while Edward looked at me unimpressed." That's not funny, Aaron."

"There is nothing wrong with me but they still wouldn't let me leave," I said, feeling tired."What about you? Why isn't anyone bothering you?" Edward just smirked and replied, "It's all about who you know."

A doctor walked in then and I knew this must be Dr. Cullen. He had the same pale skin and shadows under his eyes and was also as insanely beautiful as the rest of the Cullens. I would have thought he was a movie star if I didn't know who he was.

"So, Mr. Swan, how are you feeling?" Did the entire Cullen family have such appealing voices?

"I am fine. Can I please leave now?" I was so ready to leave the hospital. He checked my x-ray on the light board on the wall over my head."Your x-rays look good," he said."Does your head hurt? Edward said you hit it pretty hard."

"Its fine," I said throwing a glare towards Edward who was looking at his father with a look of concentration on his face. I looked at Dr. Cullen who was now probing my skull lightly with his fingers. I winced and he asked "Tender?" "Not really."

"Aaron, when did your knee shatter?" Dr. Cullen asked."A few years ago."

"Did you have a bad fall?" I looked at Dr. Cullen and wondered if he could guess I didn't get the injury from a fall. I didn't want to lie to a doctor but I didn't want to say anything in front of Edward who had shifted his gaze away from his father and was now gazing intently at my face. I said nothing at all, just stared at the floor.

"I see." Dr. Cullen seemed to have understood something from my silence. I didn't know what Edward thought about all this. I was ignoring looking at his face.

"Do you want some pain killers for your knee, now? Is the pain too much?" I shook my head, it was bad but I didn't want to be disoriented now." Well, your father is in the waiting room – you can go home now. But come back if you feel dizzy or have trouble with your eyesight at all."

"Can't I go back to school?" I didn't want to spend the entire day under Charlie's worried gaze.

"Maybe you should rest today."

"What about Edward? Is he going back to school?" Because if he was then so was I." Someone has to spread the good news that we survived." Edward said smugly.

"Actually," Dr. Cullen corrected, "most of the school seems to be in the waiting room."

I groaned and put my face in my hands."Do you want to stay?" I looked up and shook my head. I got out of bed wincing, now that I was paying attention; my knee was in some real pain. I really would have to go home.

"It seems like you were very lucky."Dr. Cullen said, smiling as he signed my chart with a flourish. "Lucky Edward happened to be standing right next to me," I said with a hard look toward Edward. "Oh, well, yes." Dr. Cullen suddenly became very interested in the papers before him. Oh yeah, the entire family has a secret that they want to keep under wraps.

Dr. Cullen went to Tyler and began examining his cuts. I went to Edward's side."Can I talk to you for a minute?"

He took a step back and clenched his jaw."Your father is waiting for you." I just stood there and after a while it became apparent to him that I wasn't going away. He glared at me and then turned his back and strode to the end of the long room. I walked behind, slowly trying not to limp. When we turned the corner into a small hallway, he spun around to face me.

"What do you want?" he asked, sounding annoyed. "You owe me an explanation." He wasn't going to intimidate me now. "I saved your life - I don't own you anything."

I flinched from the resentment in his voice." You said you would tell me." "Aaron, you hit your head, you don't know what you are talking about." I rubbed my face with my hand, I was losing my patience."Just tell me the truth Edward. I know what happened. You stopped the truck with your bare hands. At one point you even lifted it. And you were fast, one second you were beside your car and then suddenly you were next to me pulling me out of the way." It sounded crazy when I said it out loud but I knew it was true.

Edward was staring at me incredulously. But his face was tense, posture defensive.

"You think I lifted a van of off you?" His tone questioned my sanity but I wasn't going to buy any of his crap. I nodded in reply to his question."Nobody will believe that, you know." I should have realized sooner why he was so tense. He thought I was going to tell people. Right, I didn't want to end up in a madhouse but I also wanted him to trust me. "I wasn't going to tell anybody." He had saved my life while would I create trouble for him.

Surprise filled his face."The why does it matter?"

"You honestly expect me to just forget what you did?"

"Can't you just thank me and get over it?"

"Thank you." I said angrily."But I am not going to just forget this. You will tell me eventually."

"You are just going to end up disappointed." We scowled at each other in silence. This conversation was over. I started to go toward the door but my knee didn't cooperate. However, before I planted my face on the floor Edward caught me. I didn't look at him but instead grabbed my knee and sat on the floor.

"I am calling my Dad." Edward said, forgetting his anger." Don't. Just give me a minute." Edward stood their hovering over me and when I knew for certain my knee would allow me to walk I stood up and left, without looking at Edward.

Almost every face I knew seemed to have gathered in the waiting room. Charlie rushed to my side but before he could start questioning me I told him I was fine. We made a quick getaway before people could stop us. I kept replaying my conversation with Edward in my head and knew for sure that what happened today wasn't my imagination.

When we got home, Charlie finally spoke."You should probably call Renée." My mouth fell open in shock."You told Mom!" Charlie winced at the harshness in my voice."Sorry."

I called mom once I had taken my painkillers and the pain in my knee had vanished. She was in hysterics, of course. She insisted that I came back home but it was easier to turn her down than I thought possible. When she had calmed down, she told me it would have been pointless to go home since they were looking for houses in Jacksonville and were going to move there after all. She said that the pay was better and Bella liked the idea of being closer to Disney Land. She was telling me all the positives about Jacksonville, baiting me to leave Forks. But I couldn't, not yet.

I went to sleep early that night, my head consumed with thoughts of what had happened. Maybe that's why when I fell asleep; Edward Cullen followed me into my dreams.


	7. Chapter 6

**Enjoy the new chapter.**

**Please review, I really want to know if you like the story or not.**

**I do not own twilight.**

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**Chapter 6**

In my dream I was revisiting my worst memory. The man had a tight hold on me so that I wouldn't escape. Even if I could have shaken him off I wouldn't have tried it because of the gun that was being held to my temple. Beside me another man had hold of _her._ She was terrified and tears were escaping her eyes. I could see we were going to enter the place where it would happen. Panic seized me; I knew exactly what was going to happen there. I didn't want to see it again.

Suddenly the hold on me was gone and was replaced by another one. It was more gentle and cool and I knew exactly who it was. I told him to save her but he ignored me. Instead he kept dragging me away. I had started crying as I saw her being taken inside that place, that place where she would die. A hand covered my eyes so that I wouldn't be able to see anymore. When the hand moved from my eyes I was in a forest and Edward Cullen stood before me. He stared at me for a while before turning away and disappearing.

I woke up then with tears sliding out of my cheeks. I wiped them away with back of my hand and sat up. I didn't know what to make of my dream. Why was Edward there? I sat there confused for awhile but then realized it probably didn't mean anything, it was only a dream. The only problem was that that wasn't the only dream with Edward in it, after the first one, he was to appear many times in my dreams but in those he always stayed at a distance.

The week after the accident was tiring. People were constantly at my side, especially Jessica and Tyler who kept trying to 'make it up' to me, he even started to sit with us at lunch. Mike who I knew liked Jessica became distant but didn't ignore me outright. People kept asking about what had happened during the accident and if I was feeling alright and they kept telling me how lucky I was to have come out unharmed.

I kept telling all of them about Edward's heroic actions, about how he had pulled out of the way and saved my life. But apparently people didn't care what Edward had done, most of them hadn't even noticed he was there until they had moved the van. I was angry that no one seemed to trouble Edward with the details of what had happened. Everyone still ignored the Cullens and the Cullens ignored everyone. I could safely say that now, even I was on the list of people the Cullens ignored.

It started the day after the accident. I entered the Biology class with the intention that I would be civil towards Edward who had after all saved me from a painful death. I sat next to him with a polite 'hello' in reply to which he just nodded towards me, and that was it. After that Edward had, not even once, acknowledged my presence. It was like I didn't even exist.

For some reason that hurt me, each time he would ignore my existence. I could only think of one reason as to why he would behave this way. He must regret saving me and that both angered and saddened me. If he hated me he shouldn't even have bothered talking to me, why try to be my friend? Why save me? I didn't want to think about it anymore so I started to ignore him. It wasn't easy. Especially when I would find his fist curling every time we sat together at biology. I decided that maybe I should ask to exchange partners but for some reason never approached Mr. Banner with the request.

Then one day, after half a dozen weeks of ignoring each other, something happened that completely took me by surprise. It was after Spanish that Jessica had stopped me. The class emptied but a few girls remained behind but when Jessica glared at them they scattered. "So what is it?" I asked. Jessica looked at me with a blush on her face and for the first time since the day we had first talked she became shy.

"Well the girls' choice spring dance is in two weeks."

"Yeah, so?" I asked, having no idea what this was about.

"I was wondering if you would go with me to the dance. You are my choice." I probably should have known where this was going. I had no idea what to do. Jessica was nice but how could I let her down without telling her that it had nothing to do with her but everything to with me and my past. Maybe I should show her how bad of a dancer I am." Uh, Jessica I am going to be out of town that weekend." Oh, great tears were in her eyes now, I didn't like it when girls cried.

"Why? Where are you going?" she asked, sniffling. I said the first thing that came to mind."I need to go to Seattle." "Can't you go sometime else?" "No it has to be it that weekend. Look, why don't you ask Mike? He likes you a lot." "He does? But Lauren said…" She became quiet all of a sudden."Jessica, Mike likes you. He has been totally sulking about the fact that you are spending so much time with me." "Really?" I nodded with a smile. "You know I was going to ask him but I didn't think he liked me." "Well, he does. Why don't you ask him now? Before someone else does." She nodded and took off running.

When I reached the cafeteria Mike and Jessica were laughing together and when Mike saw me he greeted me with the usual gusto. I had hoped that Jessica would be the only girl to ask me but I was wrong. Before Biology started Angela asked me. I was chatting with Mike at his table when Angela came up and asked me to go with her. I suddenly became conscious that Edward had tilted his head in our direction.

I gave her the same excuse I had given Jessica but to my relief Angela didn't cry. In fact it seemed she was more relieved that I had said no. I wondered what that was about but class started just then and I couldn't spare to think about girls and how oddly they sometimes behaved.

I sat next to Edward prepared to be ignored for another lesson. However, he wasn't ignoring me. He was staring intently at my face again, frustration colored his eyes which had turned black again. I had expected he would look away when I stared back but to my surprise he didn't. Our staring match was interrupted by the teacher.

"Mr. Cullen?" Mr. Banner called, seeking the answer to a question I hadn't heard. "The Krebs Cycle," Edward asked turning to look at Mr. Banner. I was glad for the interruption and didn't look away from my book the rest of the class. What was wrong with me?

When the bell rang I expected him to leave immediately as usual."Aaron?" Ha said and even though I should have ignored him I looked up. His expression was unreadable, mine was probably tired."What? Is the great Edward Cullen talking to me again?" I said, childishly. His lips twitched, fighting a smile."No, not really."I wanted to punch him but it would probably hurt me more.

"Then what do you want, Edward?" I closed my eyes, suddenly feeling tired again."I am sorry." I wish he didn't sound so sincere."I'm being rude, I know. But its better this way, really." I opened my eyes and was greeted by his face, his expression serious.

"What do you mean?" Not having a single clue about what he could be referring to, as was usually the case with him."It's better if we are not friends," he explained. "Trust me."

My jaw locked, suspicions confirmed." You should have realized that earlier," I said anger seeping into my tone."You could have saved yourself all this regret."

"Regret?" The word, my tone, caught him by surprise."Regret for what?" If he wanted me to say it out loud so be it." For saving me, you should have let the stupid van kill me."

He stared at me in disbelief which slowly gave way to anger."You think I regret saving you?" he sounded almost mad. "I know you do." "You don't know anything." He was definitely mad. I looked away from him and collected my things in a hurry. I was about to leave when Edward appeared at my side and handed me my notebook. I must have forgotten it. I took it in silence and left.

In Gym, we played basketball. I might have done better if I had paid attention but it seemed on the days I talked to Edward my brain refused to cooperate with my body. I might have ended up injuring half of the class, but pretty soon people started to avoid passing to me quickly leaving me free to obsess over Edward. His control over me was unexplainable. Why does he affect me so much?

In the parking lot another surprise waited me. It was Lauren, a girl who sat with us at lunch and who seemed very snobbish. She had never really paid me much attention. I wondered what she could want. When I reached her she got straight to the point." Will you go to the dance with me?" This couldn't be happening again.

"I am going out of town that weekend." I repeated my story. She just stared at me coolly and said," So that's a no." And before I could say anything turned away and left. I saw Edward again, staring at me before entering his car. I did the same and started my truck. I backed out but as I was about leave, Edward's Volvo cut me off. I waited for him to move but he didn't. I looked back to see a line forming and Tyler who was sitting behind the wheel of his newly acquired Sentra, waved at me.

I was looking anywhere but the car in front me when there was a tap at me window. It was Tyler, I rolled down my window."I am sorry, Tyler. I am stuck behind Cullen." "Oh, I know. I just wanted to ask you something while we are trapped here." He grinned.

"Will you go to the spring dance with me?" My mouth fell open in shock. Of all the things that could have happened. I would have been less surprised if he had punched me. I didn't know what to do, how do you reject another person of the same gender." Uh…Tyler…I am not… interested in you that way. And I am going to Seattle that weekend, anyway." I said somewhat lamely.

Tyler just laughed."I knew you would say that, can't blame a guy for trying though. Well, if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me." He walked away with a wink. I just sat there stupidly. I had never expected the day will turn out like this. I could feel the shock on my face. I shook my head and looked forward to see Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper and Alice all sliding into the Volvo. In the rear view mirror Edward's eyes were on me. He also seemed to be shaking with laughter, as if he had heard every word Tyler had said. I wanted to crush him with his shiny Volvo but he was already driving away.

When I got home, I decided to make chicken enchiladas. I had never cooked the dish before but I needed the distraction. I didn't want to think about anything, all the surprising requests to the dance and especially not about the conversation I had with Edward. But I didn't succeed in completely distracting myself.

I would leave him alone, I decided. I would spend the rest of my time in Forks ignoring him and the mystery he presented. Instead I would try to get better, like I had originally wanted to before Edward distracted me completely. I didn't want to think about the fact that it was probably because of him that I didn't think so much about what had happened, as often as I used to. I had thought coming to Forks would somehow make me come to peace with my past but I wasn't completely sure that that was possible. A part of me had wondered if I would become even more depressed by being in a place I detested.

Instead what had happened was this: I wasn't as bogusly cheerful as I sometime pretended to be at home so that the people I loved wouldn't worry about me but I wasn't as depressed as I used to be. My therapist had told me I will never forget what happened but the trick was to remember it as little as possible. I had to focus on the good. I didn't want to admit to myself how much Edward was helping me without even trying. I wondered what would have happened if Edward wasn't here, if I had never met him. It wouldn't have been good for me, I think.

When Charlie came home he was surprised by smell of green peppers and more than cautious when he took the first bite out of his dinner. But it was good and he told me so. I asked him if I could go to Seattle a week from Saturday. "Why?"

"I wanted to get a few books and just check out the city." Charlie looked at me, his expression thoughtful." The truck probably doesn't get good mileage." Believe me, I knew all about the truck's mileage.

"I know, I'll stop along Montesano and Olympia – and Tacoma if I have to."

"Are you going by yourself?" "Yes." Charlie looked worried for some reason."It's a big city. What if you got into trouble?" I couldn't say anything to that. I knew bad things could happen anytime.

"Do you want me to come with you?" "No, Dad. It's alright. I would have gone with a friend but all of them are going to the dance."

"Aren't you going?"

"Nope."

"Why?"

"Dad, you know I don't dance."

"Oh, Okay."

Charlie and I were on the same page when it came to dancing, that is, to avoid it at all costs.

The next day I parked as far as I could from the silver Volvo. As I got out of my truck, I fumbled with the key and it fell into a puddle at my feet. But before I could pick it up, a white hand flashed before me and grabbed it. I looked up startled to find Edward right next to me, leaning casually against my truck.

"How do you do that?" the amazement was obvious in my tone even though I was irritated.

"Do what?" He held my key out as he spoke. As I reached for it he dropped it into my palm."Never mind." I said this time the irritation was clear in my tone. Edward just laughed."If you don't want to be surprised so often, you should start paying more attention to your surroundings."

I scowled at him." Why the traffic jam last night?" I demanded."Weren't you pretending that I didn't exist?"

"That was for Tyler's sake, not mine. I had to give him his chance."He snickered. "You…" I gasped. I was so shocked that I couldn't exactly articulate what he was." And I'm not pretending that you don't exist?"

"Oh, so what is it? Is this some form of torture? Did you want to kill me this way, since Tyler's van didn't do the job?" His lips pressed into a thin line and his eyes, which were light again, became angry."You are being utterly absurd." I glared at him and started to walk away. "Wait," he called. But I ignored him and kept walking. But he was next to me, easily keeping pace.

"Just leave me alone."

"I wanted to ask you something, but you sidetracked me." I stopped to look at him. He wasn't angry anymore. "I don't have the patience to deal with your severe mood swings today." He said nothing, just stood there getting drenched in the rain. I let out a sigh."What is it?"

"I was wondering if, a week from Saturday – you know, the day of the spring dance – "I just turned around to walk away, what was wrong with him. But he caught my arm before I could take one step. I looked up at him; he looked extremely amused by my reaction."Will you please allow me to finish?"

"I heard you were going to Seattle that day, and I was wondering if you wanted a ride."He said as he let me go. "What?" was all I could say. "Do you want a ride to Seattle?" "With, who?" I asked, mystified.

"Myself, obviously." He enunciated every syllable, as if he were talking to someone who was mentally challenged.

"Why?" I asked stunned."Well, I was planning to go to Seattle in the next few weeks, and, to be honest, I am not sure your truck can make." I looked him wondering exactly why he was doing this. Maybe he was a psycho.

"My truck works fine. Don't worry about it."

"I don't think it can make it to Seattle in one tank."

"Why are you doing this Edward?" I couldn't win against his persistence." I thought you didn't want to be my friend."

"I said it would be better if we weren't friends, not that I didn't want to be."

"Wow, it all makes sense now." The sarcasm in my voice was obvious.

"It would be… prudent for you not to be my friend," he explained."But I am not going to stay away from you anymore, Aaron." His eyes were intense again and not for the first time I wished I could see what was going on inside his head.

"Will you go with me to Seattle?" he asked, still intense. I just nodded in reply.

He smile briefly but then became serious again. "You really should stay away from me," he warned."I'll see you in class."

As I saw him walk away from me I wondered if to Edward I was as much of a mystery as he was to me. Maybe that's why he acts the way he does. But then I realized how absurd that was, nothing about me was mysterious. Then what could he possibly want from me. This person, who could be an angel for all I know.


	8. Chapter 7

**Enjoy the new chapter. I would really love some reviews.  
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**I do not own Twilight.**

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**Chapter 7**

Because of the very unusual conversation that I shared with Edward I was late for my English class , I was only given a warning and was allowed to take my seat. I tried to take notes but it was impossible. What is Edward thinking? Giving me all these cryptic messages that make my head spin. At first it was like he hated my guts then he tried to be civil. He saved my life and then ignored me for weeks. He wants to be my friend but warns me to stay away. I don't know what to expect when it comes to him.

But what frustrates me even more then Edward himself is me, my own reactions to him. Why do I care so much? Since I have met him it seems like I go along with what he does. Even now, after all that he has done I am going to be his friend. I can't seem to say no to him and I have feeling I would have to work on that. No matter how much he intrigues me I am not going to let him have this much control over me.

When class ended, Mike provided a welcome distraction from my thoughts. He was feeling optimistic about the weather report for the weekend and it seemed like the long awaited-weather-delayed beach trip was finally going to happen. He invited me again and I told him I would be there. It's been a long time since I went to La Push. I wondered if it had changed much.

When it was lunch time, I was starving but my appetite disappeared once I notice that Edward wasn't sitting at the Cullen table. I wondered, not for the first time, if Edward was mocking me. I only took a lemon soda and decided to take an apple just to avoid any questions about my lack of lunch. I sat at the table not talking to anyone and wondering if Edward was going to disappear for a week again, like he had done before. I hadn't even asked about where he had gone.

"Edward is staring at you again," Jessica said and I immediately snapped my head towards the Cullen table. Edward wasn't there."I wonder why he is sitting alone today." I followed her gaze to find Edward, looking at me, sitting at an empty table across the cafeteria from where he usually sat. Once he saw that he had my attention, he raised one hand and motioned me to come over.

As I looked away from him, Jessica said in disbelief," Does he mean _you_?" "It must be something about the Biology homework or something," I said." I will go see what he wants." I got up and started walking towards him becoming super aware of the stares I was getting from the people around me. I remembered thinking about not letting him have so much control over me. Well, it was too late now.

I stopped at the chair opposite from him, watching him cautiously. He just smiled." Why don't you sit with me today?" For I moment I saw in my head, telling him 'No!' to his face and dramatically walking away. But I wasn't much of a scene maker and as I had stated before for some reason I find it extremely hard to turn him down. Especially, when he is not acting like a complete asshole.

I sat down and his smile widened." What brought this on?" I asked, still cautious." Well," he paused as if to decide whether to say what he wanted or not. He looked at me and then said in a rush. "Well I decided as long as I was going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly."

"I understand completely what you are trying to say." I let the sarcasm drip from my voice. Edward just smiled and then changed the subject. "I think your friends are wondering if they should come and rescue you from my company."

"I wouldn't blame them for trying but just in case they don't try anything extreme..." I immediately made myself more at ease by slouching a little and taking a bite out of my apple. "Good thinking." Edward muttered. I looked at Edward again."Seriously, why are you changing your routine?"

"I told you, didn't I? I am tired of trying not to be friends with you. This is me giving up." His tone was light but his eyes were serious."Giving up?" I said a little confused. "Yes, giving up. I am not going to be good anymore. I am going to do what I want and let the chips fall where they may." He looked grim as he finished explaining.

"I still don't get you." I repeated myself. He smiled at me again."I always say too much when I'm talking to you – it's something I was trying to amend but it seemed I am still failing." I was more confused than ever. Edward just laughed at my expression."It's a good thing for me that you don't understand what I am saying."

"And if I did?" I don't even know why asked this."If you did you would probably leave Forks and never come back."His face had become serious again. "Why?" "Because I am dangerous." Suddenly I understood his odd behavior. All this time Edward was trying to tell me that he was dangerous. Well I suppose anyone who could lift vans were dangerous. However, I have never thought of him as such. He had done nothing to harm me, in fact had saved my life, nor had I seen him being cruel to anyone. Even his mind-boggling words and actions had been to somehow protect me from the threat he assumed himself to be.

_What was he?_ "What are you thinking?" My long silence must have frustrated him, he looked very tense."I was thinking why you thought you were dangerous," I replied honestly."I am dangerous, Aaron." "You _could _be dangerous but you choose not to be. That makes you better than most people, Edward, give yourself some credit."

Edward looked shocked and I felt pleased that for once it was him that was at a loss for words. Edward swallowed. "Haven't you wondered about what I could be?" "I have," I answered him with a smile." But since we are friends now, I will let you tell me when you want to." Edward stared at me and for a while neither of us talked. Then he blinked." Even though we are friends I am not going to tell you what I am, Aaron. _Ever"._ He looked pretty serious when he said it and so when I spoke next I was also serious.

"That's too bad. I will just have to figure it out on my own then."

"You will never figure it out."

"Of course, I will. It will just take a little more time." I was pretty confident that I will figure it out but Edward just shook his head at me ss if I was some naïve child. I had pretty much finished my apple and was opening my soda when I noticed the empty table in front of him."Aren't you hungry?" "No, I'm not hungry." I didn't understand his expression as he said this – it looked like he was enjoying some private joke.

"Will you tell me some of your theories about what I am?" He asked, looking curious."No."They were embarrassing. He instantly became annoyed."That is so frustrating." "What? Not being able to read my mind like any normal person?" Edward shot me a look that seemed almost accusatory. As if somehow I was stopping him from reading my mind. I felt pleased again, once again he was feeling the same way I did.

"Can you do me a favor?" I asked him."Depends on what it is." He replied, looking curious again.

"Next time you decide to ignore me or whatever just give me a heads up. I will want to be prepared." "Fair enough," he replied."Can I ask you for a favor in return?"

"Sure."

"Tell me one theory." I walked into that one."Err…spider bite." My face was probably completely red from embarrassment. Edward laughed."Stop laughing. I know better now." Edward composed himself and asked,"What do you know now?" "That you are not a hero, if you think yourself dangerous. You must be one of the bad guys as insane as that sounds." I knew what bad guys could do; Edward was not a bad guy.

Edward had completely stopped laughing now."Knowing that, are you still okay being with me?"

"I am still here, aren't I?" We lapsed into silence again until I noticed that the cafeteria was almost empty.

"We are going to be late for class." I stood but Edward remained where he was."Aren't you coming?"

"It's healthy to ditch class now and then," he said, as he picked up the lid of my discarded lemon soda and twirled it in his hands, so fast it blurred."Oh, okay." I couldn't ditch when Charlie was bound to find out about it."I will see you later, then."

I left then. I was lucky Mr. Banner wasn't in the room when I arrived. Mike and Angela both stared at me as if I was some soldier come home from war. I settled into my seat and opened my notebook, waiting for the class to start. When Mr. Banner came in, he carried with himself a bunch of cardboard boxes. He placed them on Mike's table and told him to pass them around. As he start explaining it became clear enough what was going to happen. There was going to be a blood drive in Port Angeles, we were going to find out our blood types before we decided to donate.

I should have ditched with Edward. My head started to spin as I saw Mr. Banner squeeze Mike finger so that the blood flowed. I stood up and started to walk towards the door. Mr. Banner took one look at my face and allowed me to leave. I couldn't have left sooner. As soon as I was outside I took huge gulps of air but that couldn't help with the images assaulting my head. I hated seeing blood. In my head I could see _her _blood spreading on the floor, I hadn't known someone could bleed so much.

"Aaron? What happened?" It was when Edward called me did my head clear a little. I realized I was sitting down on the ground. My back was facing the cafeteria wall and my head was in my hands. My breathing was labored." I don't do well with blood." My voice was thick and I imagined how pathetic I must have looked to him." You want to leave?" Edward looked really worried. I could only nod in reply."Wait here. I will be right back. I will tell Ms. Cope to excuse you for the rest of the day." He…disappeared then and for a moment I forgot everything in my shock. But only for a moment, I stood slowly and when I felt I wasn't going fall or faint I began to quickly walk towards my truck. I would go home and sleep, which seemed like the best option.

I was just about to open the truck's door when Edward reappeared. "What do you think you are doing?" he sounded angry for some reason."Going home?" I couldn't guess the reason for his anger." You are going home but I am going to take you." "There is no need for that. I can drive." "You are in no condition to drive." His angry tone made my own temper rise." Look, Edward, I really don't want to fight. Just leave me alone. I will be fine." I don't know what happened next. One minute I was looking at him angrily and next I was looking at the ground.

Edward had literally lifted me up and thrown me over his shoulder, like some overgrown toddler. I was completely stunned into silence and then,"_Edward! Put me down!"_ He ignored me and started walking. When we reached his car, with me protesting the entire way, did he finally put me down. I looked at him with a mixture of shock, anger, and awe. He didn't even look a little tired. He quickly went around to the drivers' side and unlocked the car. When he got in, he opened the door to the passenger seat.

"What do you think you are doing?" "I am taking you home. I told Ms. Cope that I will." I looked at him trying to calculate my chances of reaching my truck if I made a run for it. They were next to none."If you try to run I will drag you back here." That made up my mind for me; I didn't want a repeat performance.

"This is so unnecessary." I grumbled as I opened the door and settled myself into his car. Edward started the engine and we drove away. In the car my misery almost overtook me if it weren't for the music Edward had put on. It was Claire de Lune. My mother being a fan of the classics had played it around the house often. It relaxed me completely. "You look better now." I looked at Edward who at this moment looked relieved. I realized we were outside my house. I didn't even feel the car stop.

"It's the song. It reminded me of my mom." "You know Debussy?" I nodded."I don't know much about the classics, it's more of my mom's thing but this one is one of my favorites. "

"Tell me about your mom." He asked. He was probably just trying to keep me distracted but I let him. This was helping. "She is outgoing and brave. She is a bit careless and loses things easily. She is always trying new things but doesn't commit to most of her projects." Remembering her made me smile and it also made me a little homesick.

"What about Phil and Bella?" I was shocked he remembered who they were."Phil is good for my mom. He looks after her and can persuade her out her more outrageous ideas. And Bella is a little too smart for a kid. Anyone who meets her likes her. I suppose she has charisma, if a five year old could have charisma. "

"How old are you, Aaron?" Edward asked his voice filled with surprise."17. Why?"

"You don't seem seventeen."

I laughed a little at that."What's so funny?" I looked at Edward, feeling truly happy since coming here. "My mom, sometimes jokes with me and calls me her middle aged son." Edward smiled at me."You should smile more, Aaron."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I changed the subject."Tell me about yourself."

"What about me?"

"You were adopted." Edward nodded."What happened to your real parents?"

"They died many years ago." "I am sorry." I felt sad and a bit stupid for asking a question that obviously wasn't going to have a good answer."Don't apologize. Carlisle and Esme have been my parents for a long time now. I love them and they love me." I smiled at him.

"What about your siblings?" He looked at the clock on the dashboard."They are going to be pretty upset with me if I make them wait any longer in the rain." "Oh, I suppose you have to go." I was about to get out when I remembered something."What about my car?"

"Alice will bring it here."

"Okay. Edward, if you are not busy, some of us kids are going to the La Push beach this Saturday. The weather is supposed to be nice too. Will you come?" Edward shook his head." I am going hiking with my brother Emmett. We are going to the Goat Rocks Wilderness, just south of Rainer."

"So, I will see you tomorrow then." Edward shook his head."We are going to leave tomorrow. It's going to be an early weekend for us." I felt disappointed by the fact that I wouldn't see him tomorrow.

"Have fun then." Edward turned to look at me."Aaron will you do something for me this weekend?" I nodded."Don't be offended, but you seem to attract accidents like a magnet. So…try not to fall into the ocean or get run over or anything, all right?" I glared at him." I am not some damsel in distress, Edward."

"Just promise me, alright?" If Edward didn't seem so genuinely concerned I would have thought he was making fun of me."Alright, I will try my very best." Edward drove away with a smile on his face.

I entered my house and relaxed. I tried not to think about the obvious breakdown I had had and found that Edward, as always, was a good distraction.

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**Happy Holidays!**


	9. Chapter 8

**Enjoy the new chapter. I would love to get some feedback so, if you can, please write reviews.  
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**I do not own Twilight.  
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**Chapter 8**

My truck was parked in front of our house before Charlie came back. I had thought I would be able to hear the truck's engine, even over the pounding rain, but I hadn't. I guess I would have to thank Alice at school. I wasn't really excited to go to school on Friday but I couldn't come up with an excuse to give Charlie so I went anyway.

School was just as I expected, boring. Nothing much happened and at lunch only Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice sat on the corner table. I was going to look away when Alice looked up at me. Her expression held some expectation. I suddenly remembered that I had to thank her but then Jasper and Rosalie Hale started to look at me too and I knew I wouldn't be able to go over there and thank her for returning my truck. I would just have to ask Edward to do it for me. As soon as I thought this Alice expression became disappointed and she looked away. I would definitely ask Edward what that was about.

At my lunch table the conversation was concentrated on the beach trip tomorrow. Mike was optimistic that the sun will be out per the weather report. I was more pessimistic but didn't vocalize my opinion. No need to ruin their excitement. Everyone was making plans on what they were going to do and I just kept nodding my head now and then to show that I was listening. Jessica asked me what Edward had wanted during lunch yesterday. I told her that it was nothing important; he had just wanted to talk. In Biology, I almost fell asleep. I just wanted to go home.

When the school day was finally over I was the first one out. I quickly went to my truck and I was just about to start the engine when I suddenly had the urge to look around. When I did I found myself, once again, at the receiving end of Alice Cullen's stare. When she saw I was looking at her she just raised he hand and waved. I hesitantly waved back. Then Alice entered her car with her sister, who was glaring at her, and they then drove away. Do all the Cullens behave in such weird ways or was it just Edward and Alice?

At home, when I told Charlie about the beach trip, he immediately gave his approval. I guess he was feeling guilty about not letting me drive to Seattle alone. I wasn't going to tell him that I might go with Edward because I wasn't sure if I would. Edward seemed to change his mind a lot when it came to me.

We had just finished eating dinner when I thought of another question I could ask Charlie." Dad do you know a place called Goat Rocks Wilderness? Its south of Rainer, I think."

"Yeah, why do you want to know?"

"Some kids were talking about camping there."

"Maybe you heard wrong, Aaron." He sounded surprised."It's not a good place for camping. There are too many bears. People usually go there during hunting season."

"Oh. I must have heard wrong then." But I hadn't, I was sure. It was another question to add to my growing list of 'Questions for Edward Cullen'. I wasn't even sure if he would answer them. I will have to be pretty persistent if I wanted some answers. If I could get answers out of Edward, it might be the only training I would need to become a journalist.

The next day an unusual brightness woke me up. The sun was out. There were still clouds in the sky but they seemed to be at bay for now. It looks like the trip was finally going to happen. I left my house and drove to the Newton's Olympic Outfitters store. It was owned by Mike's parents and it was where we had decided to meet.

Mike's Suburban was parked outside and so was Tyler's Sentra. I could see a group gathered outside the store. Eric was there; along with two boys who I was sure were called Ben and Conner. There were also a bunch of girls, including Jessica, Lauren and Angela. When I parked next to the Suburban, people gave excited shouts. They all seemed to be excited, except Lauren who just glared at me. I wondered what I had done to deserve it, I came up blank. I decided to avoid Lauren; if she disliked me there was no need to burden her with my presence.

Mike was happily boasting about how he knew the weather was going to be good when Lee Stevens arrived with two extra people. I chose to go in Mike's Suburban since Lauren was going to ride in Lee's minivan. It was cramped but I managed to get a window seat, Ben sat besides me and I noticed that he kept looking at the back of Angela's head who seating in the front seat with Jessica sitting between her and Mike.

I enjoyed the sun as much as I could. When we reached La Push, it was just as I had remembered. The La Push beach has only a thin strip of sand near the edge of water. The rest of the area is dominated by large, smooth, rocks in every color imaginable. The party, led by Mike, came to a stop by some driftwood logs which were arranged for a bonfire. There was already a fire circle in place with ash in it.

We all sat around in a circle and some of the boys started a fire. It was blue, I heard someone saying it's the salt that causes the change in the flame's color. We sat there for a while joking and laughing. Soon people started to talk about hiking to check out the tidal pools. Not everyone went but I made sure that some of the guys were staying behind with the girls who weren't going before getting up to join the hiking party.

The hike wasn't too long but for some reason I took my time. Consequently, I was the last one to reach the pools. The other boys made daring leaps around them and I wanted to join them but my promise to Edward stopped me. So I just sat down near the edge of one of the pools and stared into it. I was pretty much in my own head when someone placed a head on my shoulder. I nearly fell in the water."What?" I said as I looked up, it was Angela. "Sorry Aaron, it's just that we were leaving. The boys are hungry." I nodded and stood up feeling stiff.

As we were walking back to the beach Angela whispered to me." Listen, Aaron. I just thought I should warn you about Lauren. It's just that she can be mean sometimes and it seems she doesn't like you very much." "Why?" "I don't know but after you sat at lunch with Edward yesterday she has been saying mean things about you. So, just be careful of her, okay?"I could see Angela's face and she looked pretty worried. "Thanks, Angela. Don't worry I will be fine." I said this as reassuringly as I could.

When we reached the beach it seemed like more people had joined our party. They were kids from the reservation. You could tell by their copper skin and dark hair. When all of us had gathered Mike told them all our names. When he reached my name, one of the younger kids looked up excited. The oldest of the res kids was named Sam and he introduced the rest of them. The boy who had looked up at my name was called Jacob.

We all ate lunch then. Angela sat with me but I could see her looking at Ben across the fire. In fact they both sneaking glances at one another but when one looked the other looked away. I amused myself by staring at them but after a while I decided that enough was enough."Hey, Angela if you want to go sit by Ben, you can. I wouldn't be bored and it seems like he really wants to talk to you to." Angela looked at me in shock, she was also blushing." But…I…" "Just go." She did, Ben looked like he was going to die of happiness when Angela came and sat by him and soon I could hear them laughing. Matchmaker Aaron, I could so do this for a living.

After dinner our party broke into groups. Some went to check out the local shops while others wanted to go check out the tidal pools again and some people decided to go down to the edge of the waves. Angela took off with Ben; they were also walking towards the sea. Lauren was still there but she was occupied in a discussion with Tyler about some CD.

Jacob came and sat down beside me."You are Aaron Swan, right?" he asked and shook my hand."Yeah."

"I am Jacob Black. You bought my dad's truck." "Oh! You are Billy's son. I probably should remember you." "No, I am the youngest in my family – you would remember my older sisters."

"Yeah, Rebecca and Rachel, right? I think they put make up on me once. Are they here?" Jacob laughed. "They did that to me too. Rachel's studying in Washington State; she got in on a scholarship. Rebecca lives in Hawaii now – she married a Samoan surfer."

"Okay, so it's just you and Billy now?" "Yup."

"The truck's running fine, if you want to know. I really like it." I said wanting to conversation to keep flowing.

"It's pretty slow though. I was relieved to hear that Charlie bought it. My dad wouldn't let me work on building a new car when we had a perfectly good vehicle right there."

"I know it's slow but it would do great in a collision." Jacob laughed."A tank wouldn't be able to bring it down." It was my turn to laugh."So you build cars?" I asked, impressed, he seemed to be only fifteen years old."When I have free time, and parts. Do you know a lot about cars?"

"I know enough. You probably shouldn't have told me you were good with cars. I would bring my car to you for fixing; it would save me a bunch of money too."

"I wouldn't mind, I did most of the work on the Chevy anyways but I will charge you, a lot."

"I am a family friend, I deserve a discount."

Jacob was about to say something when Lauren interrupted us."Do you know Aaron well, Jacob?" Something about her tone seemed to have disturbed even Jacob because when he replied he was serious."Yeah, I know him since we were kids." "Oh, that's nice." Although it seemed she didn't thought it nice at all. Even Tyler was frowning at her. "Well," Lauren continued," I was just saying to Tyler that it was too bad none of the Cullens could come out today. Didn't you think to invite them, Aaron?" She tried to look concerned but I don't think anyone was buying it.

"Do you mean Dr. Carlisle Cullen's family?" Sam, the tall, older boy asked before I could respond to Lauren's question. "Yes, do you know them?" she asked, turning towards him, clearly irritated.

"The Cullens don't come here," he said in a tone that closed the subject, ignoring her question. Lauren was about to say something else but Tyler shut her up and shot me an apologetic look. I looked at Sam, but he wasn't paying us anymore attention but was looking towards the forest.

I turned to Jacob and gave him a look. He tried to change the subject."So is Forks driving you insane yet?" "A little, but I will manage. Want to go for a walk? I want to check out the beach." Jacob gave me a defeated look. We stood up and walked away.

We only walked till we were a distance away from the bonfire. Then I stopped by a nearby driftwood tree. "So, what was the deal with that boy, Sam? Why did he say that, about the Cullens not coming here?" Jacob looked down at his feet."It's nothing." "Jacob I am really curious and it's not like I want to gossip like a girl." He looked at me."Why do you want to know?"

"Edward is sort of my friend; I would want to know why he is prohibited from coming here." Jacob didn't say anything."So, they really are prohibited from coming here?" Jacob nodded."_Why?"_

"It just some stories." Jacob said, shrugging."Stories?"I asked confused.

"You are not afraid of scary stories, right?" I shook my head."Do you know any of our old stories, about where we come from - the Quileutes, I mean?" I shook my head again. "Well, there a lot of legends, some of them claiming to date back to the Flood – supposedly, the ancient Quileutes tied their canoes to the tops of the tallest trees on the mountain to survive like Noah and the ark." He smiled here as if to show me how foolish he thought the stories to be."Another legend claims that we descended from wolves – and the wolves are our brothers still. It's against tribal law to kill them."

"Then there are the stories about the _cold ones_." His voice dropped lower as he said this. "The cold ones?" I asked, suddenly remembering Edward's icy cold hand."Yes. There the stories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some much more recent. According to legend, my great-grandfather knew some of them. He was the one who made a treaty that kept them off our land." He rolled his eyes.

"Go on," I asked, my voice completely conveyed my interest. "Do you think it's a good story?" I nodded.

"Where was I? Oh yeah, my great-grandfather. He was a tribal elder, like my father. You see, the cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolf – not really the wolf but the wolves that turn into men, like our ancestors. You would call them werewolves."

"Werewolves have enemies?"

Jacob nodded."You see the cold ones are traditionally our enemies. But this pack that came to our territory was different. They didn't hunt the way others of their kind did – they weren't supposed to be dangerous to the tribe. So my great-grandfather made a truce with them. If they would promise to stay off our lands, we wouldn't reveal what they were to the pale faces."

"If they weren't suppose to be dangerous, then why…?"

"There is always a risk for humans to be around cold ones, even if they existed like this clan was. You never know when they might get too hungry to resist."

"When you say 'civilized', what does that mean actually?"

"They didn't hunt humans instead they chose animals as their prey." Something was coming together in my head but I still couldn't quite get it.

"So the Cullens fit into this how? Are they like the cold ones?" "Here is where the story gets really freaky. The Cullens are the cold ones, the exact same cold ones, who my great-grandfather made the treaty with." For a moment the shock must have been clear on my face. Jacob mistook it for fear.

"There is a new male and a female but the rest of them are the same. My great-grandfather had met their leader, Carlisle. He had been here and gone before your people even arrived."

Then it clicked in my head." Are the cold ones of your stories called something else?" Jacob smile darkly." They are more commonly known as _vampires_."

I had a moment when I thought I would fall down but I composed myself quickly. It would do no good to tell Jacob about the high probability of his story being true. I made myself laugh. My laugh sounded hysterical to my own ears."Oh man, wait till I tell Edward what the locals in La Push think of his family."

Jacob looked at me alarmed."No! Promise you wouldn't say anything. I could get in trouble for it. My dad takes this stuff pretty seriously, so do some of the other elders. Even Sam takes it seriously. We aren't allowed to go to the town hospital because Dr. Cullen's there."

"Relax Jacob. I wouldn't say anything about you breaking your tribe's sacred treaty." I tried to say this with a serious expression but ending up laughing. Jacob relaxed."Silly isn't it?" At least he calmed down. My heart as still beating so fast I was surprised that Jacob couldn't hear it.

We walked back to the bonfire, which was almost out. Everyone was packing to leave. I turned to say goodbye to Jacob and promised him that I would come with Charlie to visit often. Jacob smiled and said I would be welcome to come anytime. In the drive back, I ended up beside Angela who was still talking with Ben. I tried to relax myself. But found that I could not. _Had I finally uncovered Edward's secret? _

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**The part where Jacob is telling the story is almost exactly how it was in the book.**_  
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**I want to thank the people who are following this story and have added it to their favorites. Thanks also to those who have reviewed the story.  
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**XOXO  
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	10. Chapter 9

**Enjoy the new chapter. I would love it if I received some reviews.  
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**I do not own Twilight.  
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**Chapter 9**

When I came home my mind was preoccupied with Jacob's story, so much so, that I didn't even return Charlie's greeting. I only noticed him when he shook my shoulders."Aaron, are you alright?" the concern in his voice made me snap me out of my inner world but I knew I would soon return to my thoughts again."Dad, I am ok. My head was just in the clouds." Charlie stared at me for a while and then let his hands drop from my shoulders.

"How was La Push?" He asked and I relaxed knowing he wouldn't force me tell him what I was thinking about. My mom would never have let it go."It was fun and just as I remembered. I even met Jacob Black." I tried to sound as cheerful as possible, having no idea if Charlie was buying my fake cheerfulness or not."I am glad you met him. He is a funny kid." "I know, he was friendly, I might go with you next time you visit Billy's to meet up with him." "That's good. You would meet Billy too." I think I had Charlie convinced that I was truly fine.

We ate dinner together in silence and then I told Charlie I had homework to do. Upstairs in my room, I paced, moving from one corner to another. My thoughts all jumbled together but it was only when I felt like I would become sick if I kept thinking so much did I decide to distract myself. I rummaged through my stuff to find something that might distract me. I found a CD of a rock band that Phil had given to me as a leaving gift. He had said that it might bring a little life into my stay at Forks.

I placed it in my CD player and played it after I had put the headphones on. It was loud and it completely succeeded in calming me down. I tried to concentrate on the songs and the beats and at the back of my mind wondered how different both Phil's and my mom's choices in music were. After the third time the CD repeated it didn't sound half-bad. Eventually, I fell asleep listening to a guitar solo.

In my dream I was back in the forest. I could hear the ocean somewhere in the distance and I realized I must be near La Push. I could hear people calling my name. At first it was just whispers but soon they started to shout my name and told me to run. They were the voices of my friends, Angela's and Mike's and all the rest. They stopped suddenly and I turned around to find Jacob standing behind me. He looked terrified. "Aaron, listen to me, you have to run." Jacob had started panicking and tried to pull me away but then someone else called my name.

"Aaron." I turned around and sure enough Edward was standing there. He had a smile on his face and he somehow looked both angelic and demonic. "Come here." I took an involuntary step forward. Edward's smiled widen to reveal his teeth, his fangs looked sharp. I heard a growl from behind me and turned to look. Jacob was gone but in his place stood a wolf. The wolf took a menacing step forward, his growls were growing louder. Edward stood there as calm as a statue, he still had a smile on his face and his eyes were still locked on me. The wolf lunged forward in a strong leap, mouth open, sharp teeth ready to take a bite out of Edward's jugular.

I woke up with a start, my heart beating fast in my chest and with the loudest song in the entire CD blasting into my ears. I pushed the stop button on the CD and pulled the headphones off my ears. I lay in the bed remembering my dream. I turned around in my bed and put my hand under the pillow. My hand hit something soft and I pulled it out. It was Lamb; I had forgotten I had put it under my pillow. I stared at it and remembered what Bella had said when she gave it to me at the airport that it will protect me from monsters. I had to smile at that, at this moment I wasn't sure if Lamb had done a good job because if Edward was what Jacob had said he was than Lamb had pretty much failed. A _vampire, _Edward could be a vampire. His entire family could be vampires. But weren't vampires supposed to roam the night and sleep during the day? Wasn't sunlight supposed to burn them to ashes? There were still too many gaps that needed to be filled.

After all, it was just a story and certainly Jacob didn't seem to believe in it but a lot of people in the reservation did. I remembered Sam's tone when he had talked about the Cullens. I decided I needed to do some research but first I needed to freshen up. I was still in the clothes I had worn yesterday.

It was still early but Charlie was already gone. I took my time with the shower and when I returned to the room I switched on my computer. From experience I knew that it would take some time to open so I went down to get some cereal. When I came back upstairs with my bowl of cereal, it was running. I sat in front of and waited for the internet to connect. I ate my cereal while I waited.

When the connection was secured I opened the search engine and entered the word vampires. I was expecting a lot of useless information and the first few pages were filled with information about books and movies and things about gothic make up. But I found a site that looked promising. It was called _Vampires A-Z. _I clicked on it but it took it's time to load. It was a simplistic website with the first page showing two quotes written in a very small font size, I had to squint to read them.

*****_Throughout the shadowy world of ghosts and demons there is no figure so terrible, no figure so dreaded and abhorred, yet dight with such fearful fascination, as the vampire, who is himself neither ghost nor demon, but yet who partakes the dark natures and possesses the mysterious and terrible qualities of both. _

_-Rev. Montague Summers_

_If there is in this world a well-attested account, it is that of vampires. Nothing is lacking: official reports, affidavits of well-known people, of surgeons, of priests, of magistrates; the judicial proof is most complete. And with all that, who is there who believes in vampires? _

_- Rousseau_

The site contained just the basic information about different types of myth about vampires from around the world. There were a lot of different vampire myths and most of them talked about them being some form of spirits whose main victims were children. Quite a few of them talked about them being beautiful women who seduced men and then drank their blood.

I sifted through them to find something similar to my own observations of Edward. There was the speed and strength, eye color that changed, the coldness of his skin and of course there was his beauty. I also kept looking for any mention of the cold ones and drinking of animal blood instead of human and immortality. But no entry included all of them; some came close, like there was one vampire called the Ustrei that preyed exclusively on cattle. But there was one that particularly caught my eye. It was under the alphabet S and it was this:

******_**Stregoni Benefici **__  
An Italian vampire, said to be on the side of goodness, and a mortal enemy of all evil vampires._

Reading this gave me hope that at least there could be something as a good vampire but as far as research went this wasn't very fruitful. I closed the site and shut my computer off. I took my empty bowl of cereal downstairs to the kitchen. As I was washing it I suddenly realized what I had just done. I had been on my computer researching vampires because I thought that the local Doctor's family could be a clan of them.

I realized how foolish I was being. Why would vampires come to my high school? Why would a vampire become a doctor? I wasn't thinking straight, so I went and grabbed my jacket and rushed out the door. I quickly started walking towards the forest. I walked for a while until my knee started acting up. I walked a little more till I came to a place where a tree had fallen. I found myself a spot on it and sat down.

In the forest, in my isolation, I was able to forget the embarrassment associated with believing in vampires. Here I could collect my thoughts and even speak them out loud if I wished. I came to realize several things. One, whatever Edward was he wasn't human and however absurd the possibility it could be possible that he was a vampire. There were several reasons for thinking this not least of which included his strength and speed, his pale skin and eyes that went from black to golden to black again. It was also in the much less subtle things like the way he and all the Cullens moved with such grace, I have never seen them eat, the food on their table seemed like props. It was also in the fact that sometimes in class he sits so still it's like he is not even breathing, just like a statue. He had also said that he would never tell me what he was and that if I knew I would run away from Forks.

Obsessing over every little detail I knew about Edward I also realized something else that bothered me. It was in the way he stared at me, all frustrated, as it he was trying to look into my mind but couldn't. I had never seen him like that around anyone else but that could be because I have never seen him around someone else. I wondered if that could be because he could read minds just not mine. As soon as I thought this I became embarrassed. Vampirism was one thing but _reading minds!_ I had to stop thinking about this right now.

I stood up then and decided this was enough thinking for one day. I would see Edward tomorrow and simply ask him. I had decided I wasn't going to run away or ignore him even if he was a vampire. Much of the force behind this decision came from the fact that Edward hadn't hurt me nor did he seem to be hurting anyone else. I also didn't feel afraid of him for some reason.

I turned around to walk back when I realized I had no idea in which direction I had come from. It was no good to panic so I simply chose a direction and walked, believing that my instincts would probably lead me home. I was right, I found the path soon enough but I hadn't realized how far I had walked. I was back home and was glad that Charlie hadn't come back yet.

I decided to do my homework and was mostly finished by the time Charlie came back home. He had bought home a large catch but when I told him I didn't know how to cook fish he seemed disappointed. I quickly told him I would learn how to do it, I just needed a cook book. Charlie said he would look around for one.

I went to sleep that night much more easily than the previous one. I took Lamb from my bed and kept him on the bedside table. If Charlie ever saw it, I am sure he wouldn't mention it. It would probably embarrass him to ask me about it but if he ever did I would probably mess with him and tell him that Lamb is my best friend. But I am sure I will never get a chance to do that.

The next day I woke to a surprise. The sun was out, as in, it was bright and warm and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Instantly, I thought that nothing could ruin this day. I changed quickly and went downstairs to find Charlie in the kitchen drinking coffee, it must be early."It's a nice day outside." "I know. I am going to go to school early, alright?" Charlie nodded and I left but I did take my jacket, in case Mother Nature remembers that she has mistakenly made it sunny in Forks.

I was one of the first to arrive at school and decided to sit on the benches outside the cafeteria no one used because of the constant wet weather. I looked at the sky and closed my eyes; I felt the warmth on my skin and savored it. It wasn't the same as Phoenix but I would take what I can get. After sometime more students arrived and soon Mike, Angela, Ben and Jessica joined me on the benches. Everyone was wearing T-shirts and shorts and enjoying the sun. For a moment I felt as if someone was watching me and I looked around to see who it could be. I spotted Tyler, who waved at me, I waved back but the feeling of being watched persisted. I looked towards the trees which were casting darker shadows because of the sun but I couldn't see anyone there.

I decided to go to class then because I didn't want to creep myself out. In English Mr. Mason reminded us of the essay we had hand in on Shakespeare on Wednesday and I remembered that I hadn't even started. Yesterday, I had thought that I had finished all my homework but it seemed like this one had slipped my mind.

When the lunch hour came I felt anxious. I would see Edward and if he wanted to sit with him again I would just ask him. However, as soon as I entered the cafeteria I saw the empty Cullen table. All five of them weren't present. I knew I should have felt relieved because this meant I didn't need to worry about confronting Edward today but instead I felt overwhelmingly disappointed. The day didn't seem as good as before.

In Gym the coach gave us a lecture on the rules of badminton and for the first time in my life I thought that maybe I should use my knee as an excuse to get out of Gym class permanently. I let this thought go as soon as it came; it wouldn't be worth it if I worried Charlie.

At home I decided to check my mail, I probably should have done this yesterday but I was preoccupied. As usual my mom's mails were full of little details about her life. She told me that Bella's biting phase was over but now she was naming all the inanimate things around the house, for example she had apparently named the oven 'Strawberry'. She also mentioned that they had finally found a really good house in Jacksonville and that they will move just before Phil starts the new job. She wrote that it had an extra bedroom which would be mine if I decided to come there. My mom wasn't big on subtlety; she almost always asks if I wanted to come back.

At the end of each email she sent she had taken to repeat the times she wrote 'Reply soon' so that by the final mail it she had repeated it ten times. I took this to mean that she was both impatient and angry at my lack of replies. I quickly typed back a reply. I mentioned about the trip to La Push and the unexpected good weather. I told her I was glad that Bella's biting stage was over but it seemed this new one was pretty funny. I also put in that it was nice that they found a good house and at the end as I wrote that I didn't want to leave Forks. Like my mother was straightforward with me I was the same with her. I didn't want to give her false hope.

After I had sent my email, I closed the computer and decided to work on my paper. Since the sun was out I decided it would be good if I did it outside. I took a quilt outside and folded it in half and bought down the stuff I needed. I started to write my rough draft and found that it wasn't that hard because the notes I had taken were so helpful. It felt nice to work outside in the sunshine. I had reached the conclusion when I stopped and decided that I would write it when I was on the final draft. I lay down on the quilt and looked at the sky and at some point I must have fallen asleep.

When I woke up the sun had gone down. I looked at my surroundings feeling that I wasn't alone but no one was there. I picked up my stuff and I went back inside. Charlie arrived a few minutes later. I told him that I had overslept so that he would need to order take-out. I was going back upstairs but the phone ranged and Charlie said it was for me.

It was Mike. He said that Jessica was forcing him to go shopping with her and the girls and all the other guys had made up some excuse so I was his last hope and that I couldn't say no. He sounded pretty desperate. I asked him where they were going. "Port Angeles and Aaron, please, save me."

"Okay, just let me ask my dad." I looked at Charlie to find that he was already nodding."Mike I have good news." I couldn't say anything else Mike thanked me three times and hung up. I finished my paper before I went to bed.

The next day the sun was out again and this time I dressed more lightly. I wore the long sleeved blue shirt that I would have worn in the dead of winter in Phoenix. My mom said blue looks good on me but for some reason this is the only blue shirt I had.

The Cullens were absent again and my day passed with the same feeling of disappointment and boredom. Before I left the school Jessica asked for the directions to my home and said that they will be going in her car. When I came back home I wrote a message to Charlie that he would probably need to order pizza again. Jessica came after some time; she had picked up Mike and Angela first.

As we drove out of town I couldn't help but wonder what Edward could be doing right now.

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*** Taken from the website. Its safe to say that Stephenie Meyer used the same site in her book.**

****Taken from the website.  
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	11. Chapter 10

**Enjoy the new chapter.  
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**Please review this chapter. I had a few alternative versions but I decided to go with this one so tell me if you liked it.  
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**I also want to mention here that I would only update once a week from now on.(Life is becoming busy again.)  
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**I do not own Twilight.  
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**Chapter 10**

During the car the ride, Mike and Jessica talked endlessly with each other, leaving me and Angela to sit in silence in the backseat. But that was alright I wasn't much of talker and neither was Angela. We arrived at Port Angeles by four mostly because Jessica was a fast driver.

Everyone, but me, seemed to know the layout of Port Angeles pretty well so Jessica drove straight towards the departmental store where they were going to do their shopping. The shop they went into wasn't very big and after they chose the dresses they liked they went in to the dressing room to try them on. There was no place to sit in the shop so Mike and I had to stand.

"Thanks for coming, Aaron," Mike said, gratefully, "You have no idea how boring this would have been otherwise. Why do girls think we want to go shopping with them?"

"I have no idea but at least they are limited to a few shops. Back home I had to constantly go from shop to shop just because my mother hadn't found the perfect shoe or jewelry."

"You went shopping with your mom?"

"Most of the time it had to be me – somebody had to carry the bags." I didn't want to tell him that my mom had a lousy sense of direction. When I was younger, I insisted on holding _her_ hand because I used to worry she would get lost.

"My mom doesn't want anyone to tag along when she's shopping; she says it ruins her concentration." We were both quiet for a few moments but I knew it wouldn't last long. "The dance is going to be awesome. You should come, Aaron, I bet there are some girls who don't have a date yet."

"I am going to Seattle that weekend plus I don't think any date of mine would like their feet to be stepped upon." Mike laughed. Mike then started to go on about how he was totally going to kiss Jessica on Saturday but before he could see how awkward the conversation was making me feel Angela called out my name." Aaron? Can you come in here?"

"Why?" Mike and I asked together."I am confused between two dresses and since you are not going to the dance I want your opinion." This was Jessica's voice."Why can't I come in and help you?" Mike asked, sounding hurt."I don't want you to see my dress before the dance, silly!"

I gave Mike a look that said I-would-rather-be-doing-anything-else-but-this. Mike just nodded at me to go in and so I went. Angela was in her own clothes and had already picked out her dress. Jessica was confused between a black dress and a blue one. She looked nice in both and I told her so. But I knew from experience that women usually want to buy 'the dress' so I told her that the blue one was definitely the best choice for her. When I came out, Mike asked me how Jessica had looked. I told him he would have to wait and see for himself at the dance.

After we left the dress shop the girls wanted to buy some jewelry and shoes so that was going to be our next stop. While the girls were busy buying I thought I would ask Mike something."Hey Mike, do the Cullens usually skip school?" "Yeah, their parents take them out to go on hikes and camping a lot. I would know they are like our best customers."

I just nodded. "Hey, I wanted to ask you something about Cullen. Are you both like friends now?" I should have asked Angela instead, she wouldn't have asked follow-up questions. "Uh...we are more like acquaintances." "So, is Cullen like a weird guy?" I had no idea what Mike meant by asking this question but I certainly didn't like his tone. "He is alright." "Well, I think he is a snob." I felt my temper rising but before I could explode Angela and Jessica came and said that they were done shopping and since we had time to kill, suggested we went down to the bay.

My anger with Mike was still fresh in my head so I told them that I wanted to go to a bookstore and that I would meet them for dinner in an hour. Mike wanted to tag alone but I told him it was fine he should have fun with Jessica. I looked at Angela with guilt because I was leaving her behind to be the third wheel but Angela just shook her head and told me they would be eating lunch at a Italian restaurant.

I left them and started to wonder around. I thought this would be a good time to buy that cook book so that I would be able to cook some fish for Charlie. I found a bookstore, but it seemed like the last thing I would find inside it would be a cook book. The windows were full of crystals and books on spiritual healing. I had time to kill before dinner and I also wasn't ready to hang around Mike yet.

I decided to walk around and see if I could find a better bookstore. I roamed around for some time actually trying to find a bookstore but my mind soon returned to what Mike had said. It made me really angry for some reason and I had wanted to defend Edward but I didn't know why? There was a time when I would have agreed with Mike's opinion but I couldn't now. The Cullens had a secret and they had to do whatever they could to protect it.

Thinking about Edward also made me annoyed for some reason. Why didn't he come to school for two days? What was he doing? What if he got back and started to ignore me again? These thoughts started to make my head spin and I tried to contain them but one last question popped in to my head. _Why do I care so much?_

I had stopped walking and just stood still for a while, waiting for my head to come up with a good answer but it didn't. I let out a huge sigh and finally looked up to see my surroundings. I had no idea where I was but I knew I didn't want to be here. It was a street lined with warehouses and they looked deserted.

I hated warehouses. They all looked the same and it was like I was back in my nightmare. I wanted to get out of here but I had no idea how I got here in the first place. I started to walk but it felt like I would fall down any second. I turned some corners but each turn bought me to a place I hadn't seen before. I walked some more but my memories kept on replaying in head. Being lead into that abandoned warehouse and about what happened afterwards. _Her screams were so loud –I wasn't able to do anything. I couldn't save her._

I was concentrating on repressing my memories when I heard some noise. I looked up, I was in a street lined with windowless walls on both sides and further ahead, two intersections down, I could see street lamps and cars. But that wasn't why I had frozen in my tracks or why my breath had quickened. Just a short distance away there were some men with a girl, one of them had taken a hold of her hand. Even from here I could make out the terrified look on her face.

It looked obvious to me what their intentions were – what they wanted to do to her. The girl was shaking her head and her long blonde her shook with it. _Blonde hair that was just like Helen's._ I felt my hands ball in to fists and the last thing I remember before I began to run was that I was so not going to let this girl get hurt.

I slammed into the guy that had a hold on her. He let go of the girl's hand as he was knocked down. I looked at the girl and said."Run!" She looked at me, her blue eyes wide with shock, and then she took off. I heard someone swear and then pain exploded on the right side of my face. I was knocked of my feet. Before I could even comprehend what happened, I felt my arms being twisted behind my back. I was trapped.

The guy I had knocked down was on his feet now and it seemed like he was the one who had sucker punched me. I glared at him."What about the girl?" The guy turned around to look at the girl and I was relieved to see that she was going to reach the crowded street soon. The man cursed again and turned furiously to look at me."Look at what you did you stupid fuck. I am so going to pound your face into your skull." I didn't feel afraid of him, the girl was safe and that was all that mattered but I still closed my eyes as he raised his fist to punch me again.

But the blow didn't come. When I opened my eyes the man was still standing there with his fist raised but he didn't look furious anymore, just a little curious."What are you thinking?" One of the guys who was holding me down asked. The dark haired guy crouched down before me and grabbed a fist full of my hair, and pulled my head back. "Let me get a good look at your face." His eyes roamed all over my face and I felt sick."You know you don't look bad. I think we can have a bit of fun with you."

I think my blood literally turned into ice. I had once before seen such a look in a man's eyes but back then I didn't know what to call it but now I did. It was lust_. _"Let's go somewhere private, alright?" I started to think fast, I had to escape.

Suddenly, the headlights of a car appeared – it was speeding straight towards us. I felt my arms being released as the men around me scattered. The car fishtailed around and the passenger side door was thrown open a few feet from me.

"Get in." His voice was furious and I wasted no time in getting myself into the passenger seat and slamming the door shut behind me. The tires squealed as he turned the car around, towards the men on the street. He drove straight at them but all of them jumped out of the way.

The car was dark and I realized that I was shaking. When we drove out into the street, I looked to see if I could find the girl. I only got a glimpse because the car was going too fast. She was talking to a pair of cops. I forced myself to relax. The girl was fine and I was fine. Nothing had happened but my hands still shook.

I looked at Edward. This was the second time he had saved me. I was going to say thank you when I realized he looked furious."Edward?"

"Put your seatbelt on." We said at the same time, my voice was hesitant; his was full of barely contained fury. I put my seatbelt on but didn't take my eyes off him.

"Are you okay?" I asked him but he didn't say anything. He just kept on driving. We had left Port Angeles behind, only trees surrounded us."Edward, stop the car." He didn't."Edward, stop the car, now." He listened this time and the car came to a stop. His hands still clutched the steering wheel and the expression on his face hadn't changed one bit.

"I am not okay." Edward said his voice was strained."What can I do?" He turned his head to look at me and his expression changed. He raised his hand and touched my jaw. "Ouch," I said wincing and he pulled his hand back. My jaw hurt from where I was punched, I just noticed the pain."Does it hurt a lot?" his voice sounded worried."It's fine. Just going to bruise, I think."

"I can see that." His voice sounded bitter and the anger was returning to his face."I should go and kill them. Can I do that?" "You are asking for my permission?" He nodded."Don't do that. I don't want you to go to jail." "No one will find out." The way he said it, I couldn't doubt it."I know, but still."

"Are you alright?"

"I will live." I replied.

"Say something to distract me, please," he sounded desperate but his face hadn't relaxed.

"I have a teddy bear." It was the first thing that came into my head. His lips twitched. I felt the heat rise in my cheeks but it was no use being embarrassed about telling him. "His name is Lamb." This time he smiled."Lamb?" he asked.

"Yeah, I didn't name him that. He was my sister's teddy bear."

"Why do you have it?"

"She gave it me when I was leaving Phoenix to come live here. She had said that it will –"I stopped talking, I didn't want to tell him why Bella had given it to me.

"What?" "It's nothing." "Tell me, what you were going to say?" I stayed quiet."Please, tell me." I sighed."She had said that it will protect me from monsters." His face became blank for a second and then he smiled."It's not doing a good job." "Well, he is just a teddy bear."

Edward chuckled. I looked at the time on the dashboard."Edward, I think you should take me back. My friends would be wondering where I am, we were supposed to meet for dinner." Edward started the car and turned it in the direction of Port Angeles.

Before I knew it he was parking in front of an Italian restaurant call La Bella Italia. Jessica, Angela and Mike were coming out of the front the doors."How did you know where to..," but I had more important concerns."What am I going to do about my face?" Edward looked at me and then did the weirdest thing. He messed up his hair and clothes and then stepped out the car. I got out of the car having no clue as to what he was doing."Call them, before they leave."

"Hey Mike! Angela!" All of them turned around at my voice and rushed towards me. All of them looked relieved but when they saw me and who I was with their expression changed into shock."What happened to you?" Angela said as she took in my appearance. I had no idea what to tell her but it seemed like I didn't need to."We got into a fight with each other." Edward said this with a straight face, while clutching the left side of his body like he was hurt there. "Are you for real?" Mike asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, that's why I am late but it's cool between us now. It was just a misunderstanding." "What happened?" Jessica asked."I found a scratch on my car and I thought he had done it." He said as he pointed towards a long scratched on the side of his car. I wondered when he did that. I will have to remember that he is such a good liar.

"I hadn't and one thing led to another." "But it's alright, now." He said this very smoothly and by the look and on the girls' faces it seemed like he had won them over. Mike cleared his throat."Well, we waited for you but we were hungry." "It's alright. I am not that hungry anyway."

"I still think you should eat. It will be my treat since I was the one at fault." I knew that it would pointless to refuse him so I just nodded."I will take him home."

"Oh, okay see you later then." Mike turned and started to walk towards Jessica's car."Goodbye." Angela said as she dragged Jessica away who had a mesmerized look on her face. Edward turned to look at me. "Shall we go in?"

When we got inside a female host greeted us. It wasn't a crowded place and she took us to the best seat in the place but Edward said we wanted sit somewhere private. The host then took us around a partition to small ring of booths. "Thank you," Edward said smiling. The host looked like she was about to faint.

As we sat down the host told us that our server will be with us momentarily. She had looked pretty dazed when she left. I turned to look at Edward and studied his face. I had noticed the Cullens beauty before but I had never analyzed them. Edward had a straight nose, eyes that were framed with thick lashes, he had a smooth forehead and high cheek bones and a squared jaw, and he had full lips. I looked into his eyes again which were the lightest I had seen since I had met him."Aaron?" His voice broke my concentration.

I blushed when I realized I had been staring at him."What were you looking at?"

"I was just studying your face." "Why?" "Well I just wanted to see what the host saw –she must be glad she came to work today." Edward still looked confused."She almost fainted when you smiled at her; I thought that only happened in movies."

"So, you are trying to say that my good looks left her breathless?"

Our server arrived then, saving me from further embarrassment. She had an expectant looked on her face and when she saw Edward her eyes widened in shock but she composed herself quickly. She looked at Edward with a smile.

"Hello. My name is Amber, and I will be your server tonight. What can I get you to drink?" The way she was talking to him I might have been on a different planet. Edward looked at me."Um...I will have some water" Edward rolled his eyes at me."One glass of water and two Cokes, please"

"I will be right back." The girl was smiling so much I wondered if her cheeks were hurting.

"Aaron, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah."

"Are you really alright?"

"I am fine, Edward. Nothing happened, not to me nor the girl."

"That was not nothing." He was angry again. I noticed how he didn't ask about the girl but before I could say anything the waitress had arrived with our drinks.

"Are you ready to order?"

"Aaron?" She turned to look at me –there was no smile on her face now.

I looked at the menu and quickly decided on the mushroom ravioli.

"And you?" She asked Edward.

"Nothing for me," he said.

"Let me know if you change your mind."

I drank my glass of water in one go, I hadn't realized I was so thirsty. Suddenly, I started to feel the pain on my jaw and to my dismay even my knee was in pain. I shivered and realized I was also feeling cold. I turned to put my jacket on only to realize I left it in Jessica's car. I sighed and turned towards Edward again only to find him holding something to my face.

It was his jacket."What are you doing?"

"I am giving you my jacket."

"Why?"

"You are cold."

"I am fine."

But Edward didn't move his jacket away."I am not going to move my hand unless you take it."

"I don't want to."

"Do you want me to put it on you?" he threatened and I suddenly remembered the scene from the parking lot, when he had carried me to his car.

"You are so stubborn," I said as I glared at him and took the offered jacket. I put it on; it was big on me since Edward was taller than I was. It was cold and smelled nice and for some reason I knew it couldn't be cologne. Only my fingers poked out of the sleeves so I rolled them back. I also noticed that it looked really expensive.

I was deciding how to tell him about what I learned at La Push but didn't know how to broach the topic. The waitress arrived with my food and set it in front of me. She asked Edward again if he wanted but Edward declined again. "You are not hungry," I stated.

"That was not a question."

"Do you eat, like, ever?"

"Yes, I do. In fact I ate recently." He looked like he was enjoying some private joke again but that didn't matter now. He said he had eaten recently and he had also recently gone camping in place with a large number of bears. I looked into his eyes again and something clicked in my head.

"Is that why your eyes are golden again, because you ate recently?"

He looked so shocked that I thought he was going to have a stroke.

"So when your eyes are black it means you are hungry?"

Edward still hadn't recovered from his shock.

"You know, this time, I think my theory is correct."

"You are more observant than I thought," he said recovering from his shock and then he smiled."More theories? I would love to hear them but you haven't touched you food yet."

I rolled my eyes and ate a little of the ravioli, it was surprisingly good. I ate some more before I talked again."You want to hear them right?" Edward nodded.

"I will tell you but first I want you to answer some questions."

"Okay."

"This was something I thought of the other day, it's crazy but after what happened today it seems like a real possibility."

"Aaron, just say it," he sounded impatient.

"Can you read minds?" There was no delicate way of asking this.

Edward's expression said it all.

"Oh My God!" it was my turn to be shocked.

"Aaron, relax."

"Wow, but you can't read my mind, can you?"

"No, for some reason, you are the only exception."

"So, you read the minds of others to find me? What were you doing here anyway?"

Edward looked guilty for some reason."Edward?"

He sighed."Don't freak out, alright?" I looked at him in confusion.

"I followed you here." My mouth opened in shock."What!?"

"I am sorry but I feel protective of you. You are my first human friend and, well, humans' are really fragile."

I thought about this and wondered if this was a vampire thing.

"Well, I will ignore the fragile comment, but I guess with all that happened today, I should probably thank you."

I looked straight into his eyes and said."Thank you, however, next time you can just come with me, instead of following me in the shadows."

"Will you tell me your theory, now?"

"Wait, I still have some questions." Edward looked at me expectantly so I continued, "How does your mind reading work?"

"I can hear what everyone is thinking all the time. I usually just ignore it so it's like a constant hum of voices at the back of my mind."

"How did you find me?"

"I was keeping tabs on Jessica but not very well," his voice was starting to sound frustrated again.

"At first I didn't even know that you were gone but eventually I realized you weren't with them. So I started to look through the mind of strangers to see if anyone had seen you. I came to a bookstore but I knew you hadn't gone in and that you had gone south. I drove around looking for you when I heard them -"he cut himself off, the anger apparent in his voice.

"I heard the girl too, she was running away at that time but your face was clear in her head. She wanted to save you too." Suddenly, his elbow appeared on the table and his hand covered his eyes.

"You don't know how much I had wanted to_ kill _them, crush them with my bare hands. It took all my will power to just drive away with you."

"It's all right Edward." I tried to calm him down.

"You have no idea what _he_ was thinking." His voice was low but it was full of disgust.

I knew who he was talking about."I do know Edward."

He looked at me then and I didn't know what to make of his expression, it just seemed sad.

"You would." His words confused me, what was he implying?

He called for the bill before I could say something else.

Before I knew it we were getting into his car, I don't even remember coming out of the restaurant. My mind was full of the implications his words provided.

When he started the car, he looked at me with a small smile on his face."Your turn."

But I still had so many questions for him. But I suppose I couldn't delay telling him any longer.

I knew his secret of that I was completely sure.

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**AN: I will update mostly on Saturdays or Sundays.**


	12. Chapter 11

**Enjoy the new chapter.  
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**I will try to update on Sundays but I can't make any promises. (I have A LOT of work)  
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**Please review this story. I really want to know what you think about it.  
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**I do not own Twilight.  
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**Chapter 11**

I was still thinking about what Edward had said in the restaurant. It seems like I wasn't the only one uncovering secrets. Edward knew something about my past; why else would he have said what he did. I didn't want to know how much he knew or how he found out. I will delay that particular conversation for as long as I could.

"How long are you going to stay silent? Is your theory really that bad?" Edward said this in a carefree voice.

"I was just thinking about something."

"Do you want to talk about it?" I looked at Edward, who was staring at the road.

"Later. Can I ask you one more question?"

He just nodded his head.

"You weren't lying, were you? When you said you couldn't read my mind?" Edward looked at me, and I think he knew why I was asking him this again.

"No, I definitely can't read your mind."

"What about your family?"

"I am the only mind reader in my family."

"Why is that?"

"I think I have answered enough questions. I am not letting you delay any longer."

"Okay, just give me a minute." I took a deep breath and was about to say 'I think you are a vampire' while anticipating his shocked reaction, when my eyes fell on the speed meter.

"Edward, will you slow down." My voice was filled with sudden panic.

"Why?"

"You are going too fast!"

"Relax, I am an excellent driver."

"I still don't want to take any chances."

"Aaron, I have never gotten a speeding ticket. At this moment you are sitting next to a person who will never get into a road accident."

I knew I shouldn't worry, but what if he were to brake suddenly? It was certainly possible that he might and we will end up getting into an accident which will send me to an early grave. When I panic, my imagination runs wild.

"Please, slow down," I said in a small voice. The needle went down immediately but not as much as I wanted. "Satisfied?"

"Not completely." I said with a small smile.

"I hate driving slow." He really did look unhappy with the current speed.

"I don't think you know what slow is, Edward." He just rolled his eyes at me.

"Now, will you kindly tell me what your recent theory is?"

"I am debating if it's a good idea."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I don't care if I am right or wrong, I will still be your friend but it's your reaction that I am worried about."

"Why are you worried about my reaction?"

"Cause, I am fairly certain I am right."

"I will be the judge of that." He looked completely at ease with himself; as if there was no way I could have figured out what he was. This annoyed me and I just blurted it out.

"Are you a vampire?" My heart was beating fast in my chest but Edward looked straight ahead.

"You are not very imaginative." He looked calm and collected and not at all what I expected him to be. Was I wrong? I went through all the facts I knew and then decided that he was lying. I had already seen his impeccable acting skills earlier.

"You are a very good actor."

"You don't actually believe I am a vampire, do you?" Everything from his tome to his expression showed how incredulous he thought the idea of him being a vampire was.

"Edward, just admit it."

"I am not going to admit that I am a vampire when I am not."

"Lying is a bad habit."

"I am not lying. Just because you saw some movie or read a book about vampires, that doesn't mean I am one."

"Who says I think you are a vampire because of some movie?"

"How else would you come up with such an absurd idea?"

"Someone told me a story about them."

"And you immediately thought of me?"

"Yeah."

"From where did you hear such rubbish?"

"I promised I wouldn't tell anyone." Edward shook his head in disbelief.

"Why don't you just admit that this theory is foolish."

I was quickly becoming tired and angry because of his act. I mentally sent an apology to Jacob; I was about to break my promise.

"It was on Saturday, at the beach. I met an old family friend." My anger was apparent in my voice and I was staring at my hands as I continued to talk."His father is a Quileute elder. He told me some of their legends and one of them was about you and your family, about how you were vampires and weren't allowed to come on their land because of a treaty."

Edward stopped the car but not as abruptly as I thought he would. I finally looked at him but he was staring out the window."Why did he tell you their legends?" His voice was low and I couldn't detect any emotions from it.

"I asked him to tell me because of something one of the other kids had said, about your family never coming to the reservation, only it seemed there was some story behind it."

Edward didn't say anything, and he was still looking out the window. "He didn't really believe the stories but he made me promise not to say anything. He didn't want to end up in trouble with his family."

Edward still didn't look at me, in fact he didn't move at all. This was the reaction I was worried about." Edward, say something."

"What are you doing _here?"_ He sounded angry. "What do you mean?" I was completely confused by his question.

Suddenly, he turned to look at me, he was furious._" I mean what are you doing sitting in my car? Why are you with me!?"_

"You are not making any sense." I still couldn't understand what he was trying to say.

He took deep breaths but then stopped and the expression on his face became painful. He got out of the car before I could blink. I got out after him. He was standing with his back towards me.

"Get back in the car." He didn't sound angry anymore instead his voice was almost pleading.

"You first."

"Just give me a moment but you need to get back in the car."

I obeyed him this time. I got back into the car and realized I was shivering. It was cold outside.

Edward just stood there for a while and when he got back in the car he looked much better.

"Edward, is everything okay?"

"You didn't answer my question. Why are you with me?"

"Why shouldn't I be with you?"

"You know what I am and yet you are still here. I want to know why?"

"Does that mean you are a vampire? I was right?"

He looked at me, his impatience clear on his face."Yes, you were right. Now will please answer my question."

I started to laugh. Edward looked at me as if I had gone insane and this made me laugh even more.

"You – I was right and you still pretended –"I couldn't finish, I was laughing too much.

When I finally calmed down Edward said, "You must be insane."

"I am not insane. I just thought it was so funny how you tried to convince me that I was wrong, when I was right."

"Are you listening to yourself? I am not human. I am a monster."

"You are not going to hurt me. You only drink animal blood."

"Your friend told you everything?"

"Yes."

"That doesn't mean I am not dangerous. I and my family, we can make mistakes. You don't even know how dangerous it is for you to be with me right now."

"You are not going to hurt me," I said, with complete confidence.

"You remember the first day we met?"

"Yeah, you were not very welcoming."

"Do you want to know why I behaved the way I did?"

I looked at him expectantly and after a moment he continued talking.

"Every person has a unique scent, no two people smell the same to us. However, one person can smell more appealing to us then another."

"What are you trying to say? That I smell good to you?"

"You don't just smell good, Aaron. When you walked into that biology room your scent drove me insane with thirst. I wanted to drink your blood and I would have killed every person in the room to get rid of the evidence. You don't know how hard it was to stop myself."

I was glad that he wasn't looking at me as he talked because if he had he would have seen the fear on my face. I tried to dispel my fear by reminding myself that Edward, despite of what he was telling me, has never harmed me. It worked.

"Even right now, it is painful for me. But if I kill you now, I must admit I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

"What do mean by that?"

"I can't kill you, Aaron. I told you, didn't I, that I feel protective of you. I don't think that I will ever be able to hurt you."

"Then why should I need to stay away from you?"

"Because, it will still be safer for you, I can make a mistake anytime. You will always be in danger when you are with me."

"As far as I have seen, I am the safest when I with you." He looked ready to argue but I stopped him."I don't think I can leave you alone anymore, so don't bother to argue about it."

Edward started the car then and we were moving, too fast, again. I could see that it wouldn't take long before we will reach my house, so I had to make the minutes count. I wanted to ask him so many questions but before I could say anything he spoke.

"I can see nothing will change your mind, so I guess I will have to stick around to save you from fate."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Even you must have realized this, Aaron, you seem to attract trouble."

I wanted to argue but in light of recent events I wouldn't have made much of a case for myself.

"Well, it's a good thing I have you then."

"I think I would need to be more vigilant if I have to keep you safe."

"You worry too much, Edward."

"It is distracting. I have to say it got on Emmett nerves also."

At my confused expression he explained."I think you have already deduced this, but we went hunting this weekend. I couldn't concentrate much and we came back early, too."

"Wait, you came back early?"

"Yes, as I said, it was because I was worried the whole time about your safety."

"Then why weren't you at school?"

"The sun was out."

"Does it, you know, burn you?"

"No, that's just a myth. It doesn't hurt us but we can't be seen it. I will show you sometime."

Edward's mood had improved a lot but he still seemed tense.

"Can I ask you some more questions?"

"Sure."

"Do you sleep in coffins?"

"No, I don't sleep at all."

"Ever?"

"We don't need to sleep." It seemed like he missed sleeping.

"That doesn't seem so bad. I wish I didn't need to sleep."

"It can get pretty boring though. It's hard to find interesting things to pass the time."

"You might be right but it still doesn't seem too bad."

"Anything else you want to ask before we reach your home."

He was right; it wouldn't be too long now.

"There is one, if you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"

"I am seventeen," he said with a smile on his face.

"Edward, you know that's not the answer I want." He laughed as I glared at him but I wasn't really angry.

"I am not going to give you an exact number, but it has been a long time, since I celebrated my real seventeenth birthday." As he said this we parked in front of my house. We sat there in silence neither of us talking and then I decided it was time to leave, even though I really didn't want to.

I looked at Edward who was staring at me."What?" I asked confused by the look on his face.

"I am waiting."

"And what are you waiting for?"

"I am waiting for you run screaming out the door."

"First of all, I will never do something that dramatic," I was looking straight into his eyes as I was speaking."And secondly, it's too late for me Edward, I will never be afraid of you."

"Don't be too sure of that. Maybe you will have a breakdown in your room."

"I will not have a breakdown in my room." My voice shook when I said this because it wasn't entirely true. Edward looked worried."It's not because of you that I will have a breakdown but probably because of what happened earlier in the night."

"Do you want to talk about it now?" he sounded concerned. Here was my chance to ask him if he knew, but I just couldn't, so I shook my head and got out of the car.

I took of his jacket and was about to place it on the seat when he said, "Keep it. You don't have a jacket to wear at school tomorrow."

"Jessica will bring it to school tomorrow." At least I hope she will.

"She might forget." There it was again, he wasn't kidding when he said he felt overprotective. I threw the jacket at his face and laughed. He hadn't caught it, like I thought he would, instead it had landed on his face.

He slowly removed it from his face and I was able to see that he was glaring at me."I am sorry but I thought you would catch it, with your super reflexes," I had a huge smile on my face as I finished talking.

"This will be the only mistake you will ever see me make." He promised.

"Don't be too sure of that," I said copying the statement he had made earlier.

"Aaron, will you make me a promise?" His tone was genuinely serious and I agreed without thinking.

"Don't go into the forest alone."

"Okay," I said agreeing, even though I had no idea why he would want a promise like this.

"Edward, you will be at school tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, I have a paper due, too." He flashed me his pearly white smile.

"Oh and Aaron, take care of that bruise," his eyes were fixed on my face. His words also made me aware of me current predicament.

"What am I going to tell Charlie?" I asked him.

"You can tell him what you want." He started the car but before he drove away he said, "I will save you a seat at lunch."

I unlocked the front door and when I entered Charlie called out," Aaron?"

"It's just me dad." It looked like sneaking quietly upstairs to my room was out of the question.

"You are back early." He said as he came to meet me in the hall. He stopped in his tracks when he saw my face.

"_What happened?"_ I winced at the sharpness in his voice.

"I just got into a fight dad, it's no big deal."

"A fight? With whom?" his tone was demanding.

"It was just a misunderstanding. Don't worry about it, it's all good now."

"Who did you fight?"

"I am not telling you."

"Aaron Swan, you tell me right now." It's really difficult to reason with your parents when they use your full name.

"Dad, I am really tired. I just had a small fight and if you must know it was with Edward Cullen."

"You fought one of the Cullen's boys, they are huge" he asked, disbelief colored his tone.

"Yeah, it was Edward Cullen, he is in my Biology class, and we fought because he thought I had scratched his car."

"Did you scratch his car?"

"No!" Now I was getting angry.

"Like I said it was a misunderstanding but our tempers flared and a few punches were thrown. He realized I wasn't at fault. He was pretty sorry about it, even treated me for dinner." I was out of breath when I finished speaking.

"So who won?" I glared at him."It was an equal fight, there was no winner."

"Really?" He looked surprised.

"I am going to sleep now." I said as I glared at him. He called out my name and said that I should take care of my bruise as I walked up the stairs. I don't think he believed that I could have had an equal fight with Edward.

When I got to my room I realized exactly how tired I was. My leg and face ached and I wanted nothing more than to sleep but I had to take a shower first. The water was cold and it helped in soothing my pain a little. When I finished my shower I took two sleeping pills. I just wanted to rest

Before I could enter my bedroom the phone rang and Charlie called me down. I picked up the receiver, it was Mike."Dude, you got home alright?" he sounded surprised.

"Yeah."

"So, tell me what happened with Cullen?"

"There isn't much to tell."

"Your Dad is around?"

"Yeah."

"Then tell me tomorrow. You don't know what huge news this is."

"Mike can you ask Jessica to bring my jacket to school tomorrow. I forgot it in her car."

Mike promised that he will and before hanging the phone reminded me twice to tell him what happened first. I had no idea Mike liked to gossip so much.

The phone call from Mike had made even more tired. In my bed I waited for the shock to hit me but nothing happened. Before I fell asleep; my last thoughts were about school and how once again I was bound to be the center of attention. It was not a good thought.

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	13. Chapter 12

**Enjoy the new chapter.  
**

**I do not own Twilight.  
**

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**Chapter 12**

When I woke up the next day I felt horrible. I felt extremely exhausted but I still managed to get up. When I left my room, to go to the bathroom, I met Charlie. He was in his uniform and he was carrying a glass of water. When he saw me, he winced.

"Is it that bad?" I asked knowing what his answer will be.

"Yeah, it looks pretty bad. You didn't even put ice on it, did you? Does it hurt?" Charlie said as he handed me the glass of water.

"It doesn't hurt, much. Why did you bring me water?"

"I was coming to check up on you. I thought if you needed to take any of your medication…" he let the sentence hang.

"Thanks, Dad. I am fine."

"Just don't get into any more fights, Aaron." I could see how serious he was and I also knew how worried he must be.

"I wouldn't," I promised.

"Good, I wouldn't want to arrest you." he tried to maintain the serious look on his face but failed.

"That will be a scandal."

"If something like that happened, this town will never forget it." I didn't doubt it."Well, I am going now. You better hurry up or you will be late for school," Charlie said as he descended down the stairs.

I almost dropped the glass of water when I saw my face in the bathroom mirror. Charlie wasn't kidding when he said it looked bad. The bruise that had formed on my cheek wasn't the worst but my pale skin made it pop out. The overall effect didn't look very nice. I imagined the reaction the kids at school would have and had to sigh.

Today will probably be very tiring but there was no way I could stay at home. Not now, when I had finally confirmed the truth. Going to school will be worth all the staring and gossip. I would get to ask Edward all the things I couldn't yesterday. I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that vampires existed but I felt no fear. I suppose this wasn't normal but even I couldn't explain why I felt so safe with Edward.

I had expected that I will find a cream for my bruise but I didn't. Back in Phoenix this wouldn't have been a problem. Bella gets bruises all the time so we always have a cream for her in the house. I guess Charlie has no need to buy one.

I got ready in a rush after I realized that I really was going to be late. I decided to skip breakfast and wasted five minutes looking for my jacket before I remembered that Jessica had it. I walked out the front door and the cold made me shiver. I hope Jessica wouldn't forget my jacket.

I locked the door behind me and when I turned around Edward was standing in the drive way. I was completely startled by his sudden appearance."Do you want to give me a heart attack?" He looked pretty creepy, just standing there, with all the fog behind him.

"No," Edward said with a small smile."I see you haven't done anything about that bruise."I covered my bruise with my hand before saying." I was tired yesterday and we don't have any cream for it in the house."

"What are you doing here?" I was feeling really cold so I quickly started to walk towards my truck, eager to get somewhere warm." I am here to give you a ride." I stopped to look at him."I don't see your car."

"Its right there, Aaron," he looked at me like I was a complete idiot. I looked where he was pointing and realized that I was a complete idiot. His car was right there in the drive way, I had completely missed it."Oh, right. It's okay, I can drive."

"Are you sure? I don't think I should let you drive in all this fog." I had never driven in this much fog before but I will need to learn sometime. I knew a ride with him would save time but I didn't want him to keep seeing me as some weak human. I don't like it when people think I am weak."I don't drive like a maniac so I think I will be just fine."

"Do you want to be late for school?" His question had me moving towards my truck."I am fine with being late. It will suit my new trouble maker image," I said, with a wink. I got in my truck and started the heater. I could see Edward pull out of the drive but he didn't drive away. I was waiting for him to do something. It took me a minute realize that he was in the car with me."You have got to stop doing that."I hadn't even heard the door open.

He just smiled and handed me a jacket. I looked at him confused." Jessica is going to forget." I took the jacket from him still confused."How do you know?" He just put his finger to his lips and said, "It's a secret." I put it on, my thoughts filled with what this 'secret' could be. I could tell that the jacket was new; it was also a perfect fit. I waited for Edward to leave but he didn't.

"Since you wouldn't let me give you are ride, you are going to give me a ride." I started the engine knowing that it will be futile to argue with him. "Prepare yourself for the slowest drive of your life."

I was concentrating on the road while Edward just sat there, not saying a word. He only sighed, a lot."You could have just driven yourself, you know. This truck can't go above sixty."He didn't say anything, just sighed some more.

When we finally reached the school the final bell had rung. I got out of the truck in a hurry."See you at lunch." I started to rush towards my class but I didn't miss the fact that his car was parked in the school parking lot. Why is it that with Edward the mysteries keep on growing?

Nothing could have prepared me for my first class. When I first entered the class I was greeted by the shocked gasps of some girls and by an annoyed Mr. Mason. He was unimpressed with my tardiness and the condition of my face only deepened his frown.

The entire class kept on whispering and many of the students were openly staring at me. I hadn't thought the news would have spread this fast but it had. Mr. Mason got his revenge by giving the entire class extra homework. I had expected some people to question me about the 'fight' between me and Edward but no one did.

In my Government class I got the same treatment. Tyler stared at me so much it seemed like he wasn't even blinking. I prepared myself for a confrontation. When class ended Tyler was waiting for me in the hall way. His first words were what I thought a lot of people wanted to ask me.

"You got into a fight with Cullen?" He sounded angry which surprised me."Yeah, I did. But it's was just misunderstanding." I don't think Tyler heard me because he still looked angry." What's Cullen's problem? Why can't he leave you alone?" People were starting to look at us but when I stared back at them they started to move: very slowly."Tyler, relax. It's not a big deal. Fights happen and he has already apologized."

"Not a big deal? Have you looked at your face?" I didn't know what Tyler's problem was but I was quickly losing my patience. I was about to tell him to mind his own business when a shadow fell over both of us. It was Emmett Cullen.

"Is there a problem here?" If Edward wanted me to be afraid of vampires he probably should have placed me in the presence of his huge brother. Tyler also seemed to have lost some of his steam but he still had the guts to glare at Emmett. Emmett just raised an eyebrow at Tyler and when he looked at me he smiled, showing all of his teeth. It didn't comfort me much.

"I heard you got into a fight with my brother. I think it was great of you to bring Edward down a few notches, he has a huge ego."Emmett winked at me before walking away and leaving both me and Tyler with our mouths open in shock. Tyler relaxed then and said he couldn't believe I held my own in a fight against Edward. I pretended to act smug and told him he shouldn't underestimate me.

In Spanish and Trig, I had to face Jessica. She was worried about me and apologized for forgetting my jacket. I could see she wanted more detail but she didn't ask for any. I wondered why that was. At lunch I found out exactly why. Our lunch table was surrounded by people and as soon as Mike saw me he called me over. I felt my hunger disappear.

Every guy asked about the fight, every girl asked if I was alright. I told the girls that I was fine but it was very difficult to come up with a believable story for the guys. Tyler had also told everyone about what Emmet had said. Everyone around the table were angry with Edward, except Angela who reminded everyone that Edward had apologized and even treated me to dinner. However, it seemed like no one cared if Edward had apologized or not. All the guys kept saying they could take the Cullen brothers in a fight. No one had anything good to say about the Cullens.

My head had started to ache. I had thought I would spend my lunch with Edward and maybe then people would see that everything was fine between the both of us. Now I just thought I should have told the truth.

"Aaron, can I talk to you?" My headache instantly vanished. I hadn't even noticed how silent the table had gotten. Everyone was silently staring at Edward. None of the guys were showing their bravery now. I looked at Edward, who looked only at me. He was saving me, again. I nodded and got up from my seat.

"I will see you guys later." All of them stared after us. Only Angela and Ben looked worried. I smiled reassuringly at them but I don't think it helped. Tyler looked ready to follow us and I shook my head as I saw him getting up. He sat back down but reluctantly. One of these days I would ask him what his problem was.

Once outside of the cafeteria, Edward started to walk towards one of the buildings. I realized we were heading towards our Biology classroom. Since Edward wasn't talking I decided to speak first.

"I am sorry." He stopped in his tracks and turned to face me."Sorry? About what?" he asked, looking puzzled by my sudden apology."We should have told the truth about what happened yesterday. Everyone thinks of you as some bad guy." I honestly felt sorry about that.

"That's not a problem for me, Aaron. It seems to amuse my siblings." It seemed like he really didn't mind all the negative comments."It is a problem for me, Edward, I don't like the way they talk about you." It got on my nerves. Edward just looked at me before shaking his head."Don't worry about it. You are forgetting that the lie was my idea in the first place. "

We started to walk again."Tell your brother thanks. If he hadn't come I might have punched Tyler in the face." Edward chuckled."It certainly seemed that way."

"I don't understand why he was bothered by it."Edward looked at me from the corner of his eyes."You really don't know?" Something in his tone made me stop."What? Do know something?"

"It's pretty obvious, Aaron." He looked amused for some reason.

"Well it's not obvious to me."

"He asked you to the dance, didn't he?"

"Yeah, he did."

"What do you think that means?"

"That he wanted to go to the dance with me?"

"He wanted to go on a date, Aaron. He likes you."

I just blinked rapidly at that."I don't think he likes me. I think he just wanted to go to the dance with someone."

"I know what's in his head. He definitely likes you. Why do you think he doesn't?"

Edward had that intense look on his face that I have come to associate with him wanting to know what's in _my _head. "There is nothing to like." I said simply."You are wrong about that." I waited from him to elaborate but he didn't.

"What are you going to do about Tyler?"

"I guess I will have to think how I am going to turn him down."

"So you are not interested in him." He looked very interested in what I had to say and I had to wonder why that was.

"No."'

"What are you going to do about him?"

"Probably think of a nice way to turn him down."

"Do you like someone?"

"Define like."

"Like as in wanting to go on a date with someone"

"No, I don't like anyone like that."

"That's unusual."

I looked at Edward; his eyes had widened, probably at the sad look on my face.

"I know." I couldn't possibly tell him how much it saddened me that I haven't found anyone that I liked enough to date. I still remember my mom's sad face on weekends and on days I had school dances. Since the incident I hadn't been able to connect with anyone, neither had I wanted to. It seems now that only some cupid's arrow will make me fall in love.

We walked towards our biology classroom in silence. We were the first ones there and after a few moments the bell rang. I was worrying over what Edward might be thinking and what he was going to say. People started to arrive in groups. Both Angela and Mike shot me looks as they entered. Angela looked relieved, while Mike looked very curious. My worry lessened when Mr. Banner wheeled in an outdated TV and VCR –it was a movie day.

At least I wouldn't have to worry about Edward asking anything else. I don't know why but Edward was the only person in my life, right now, from whom I may not be able to keep any secrets, even though he can't read my mind. I don't know why that is. I guess it's another mystery to add to the growing list of mysteries that surround Edward Cullen.

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**Feel free to tell me your views on this chapter.**

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, followed and added my story to their favorites.  
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	14. Chapter 13

**A new chapter.  
**

**I only have one warning for the chapter. It contains rape but it's not graphic.  
**

**You will find out what happened to Aaron back in Phoenix. I hadn't planned to give his past this much detail but this chapter didn't want to be written any other way.  
**

**I do not own Twilight.  
**

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**Chapter 13**

I was having a very difficult time concentrating in Biology. I wanted to pay attention to the movie playing, _Lorenzo's oil_, but it wasn't very interesting and my other thoughts wouldn't leave my head. It wasn't helping that Edward was also paying me more attention than to the movie. Arms folded, he was staring at me from the corner of his eyes.

In the dark Biology classroom I had no escape from my thoughts. I tried not to think but I was failing miserably. I couldn't believe I was reacting like this because of a conversation about my empty love life. I laid my head down on the desk and closed my eyes. This was the worst thing I could have done.

The moment I closed my eyes I started to remember things I shouldn't be remembering. I sat up straight again and tried to focus on something else. It didn't work; my head wouldn't cooperate with me. My vision was clouding and suddenly I was aware that I couldn't breathe. I started to gasp and I think I heard Edward call my name before I blacked out.

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I was back at my old home in Phoenix, not the one I had left, but the one we lived in before. I was confused. What was I doing here? I had never come back here after the incident. I was sitting on the couch, in front the T.V. the _Terminator_ was on and Bella was drawing something. But it wasn't five year old Bella, it was a much younger Bella and suddenly I realized what was happening. I was dreaming and with this realization came another more horrible one.

I wasn't just dreaming any dream. This was the _day,_ the day it happened. I was literally dreaming out a memory. I wanted to wake up but it was hopeless I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything. I didn't want to be here. I hoped that somebody will wake me up before the worst parts. But somehow I didn't think that would really happen. So I resigned myself to face this nightmare.

I remember watching the screen of the T.V but in reality I was listening intently for footsteps. I had a crush on my neighbor, Helen. She was just two years older than me and as far as I could remember she was my first crush. I had even joined a book club for her. I still remember Phil teasing me whenever he saw me reading something like_ Jane Eyre_.

The day Helen died; she was going to babysit us. I remember feeling embarrassed about being babysat but I never fought my mom whenever Helen was the one doing it. So there I was waiting for her, anxious and excited. If I hadn't been listening for her I might have missed her scream completely because of the sound of the T.V. But I had been listening for her and I did hear her scream.

That was the only reason I ran outside. When I reached outside I saw the men, there were two of them, and Helen. A hand covered her mouth and she was being dragged into their van. I ran towards them. My appearance had surprised the attackers but it didn't deter them. I had run towards the one holding Helen and I could see that she was frozen in her fear, unable to fight back because of it.

I remember shouting, even now in my dream I can feel myself shouting but I can't hear what I am shouting out. But it was futile; no one was going to come. In my urgency to free Helen I had forgotten about the other man and this was my greatest error. I felt the man grab me by my hair and pull my head backwards and with powerful force pulled me away. I was struggling in his grasp but when I felt the gun on my temple I froze.

At this point in my dream I prayed that I would wake up or that something will change but nothing did. The man with the gun put me in the van with Helen. I could hear Bella crying in the background but I knew she was safe. They ignored her and drove away with us.

I don't know how I can explain the feeling of being trapped in the worst memory but I can at least say that this wasn't the first time this happened. I could do nothing except stare at Helen; her blonde hair a little messed up, her green eyes wide with fear. She still looked beautiful though and I remember being afraid for the both of us.

In their van we didn't dare to make a sound. The man with gun had threatened to shoot us if we did. We drove for what seemed a long time, stopping only at what I assumed must have been red lights. Helen was pleading with them to let us go but the men only laughed. I felt sick and I knew that we needed to get out of this situation but I couldn't see any way out.

When finally stopped and the men came to get us out of the truck, Helen struggled but when the gun fell on my temple again she stopped struggling. They pulled us out and we came to the place that I dread; the place where Helen's life was going to end. The sun was down and I knew my parents must be home by now. They would know something was wrong.

It was a warehouse. Abandoned and old there was not a soul in sight. I looked at Helen, she had started to cry. They took us inside. I don't remember much about the warehouse and this is reflected in my dream. The background is hazy but I do know there were a lot of crates and other unusable junk.

I had started to panic by this point. I knew where this was going. I started to struggle despite the gun being held at my temple. The man holding me cursed and threw me on the floor. He looked around for a while and then went towards a pile of crates and pulled out a crowbar. He gave the gun to his accomplice who had also let go of Helen.

This was the point where my knee was shattered. He struck me thrice and each time the pain was worse and my shouts were louder, yet no one came. I wish now that I would have fainted at that moment but I didn't. When he stopped tears were escaping my eyes because of the pain. The man threw the crowbar away and crouched down and with his ugly face, uncomfortably close to mine, told me to enjoy the show.

He turned me around so that I was facing Helen and the other man. Before turning towards Helen, who was still pleading and crying, he threw the gun back to the one who was holding me. I knew what was going to happen and had closed my eyes but that didn't mean I couldn't _hear _what was happening.

I remember the man who was still holding me uncomfortably close shouting in my ears to open my eyes but I wouldn't. I remember telling them to stop over and over again but they didn't. After a long time the man let me go, Helen had stopped screaming. I still kept my eyes closed when the other man came he told me to stay quit. Helen had started to sob again. This time I was free to cover my ears.

The second man had grown tired of listening to me and unlike the first who only laughed this one was violent. He would punch or kick me and tell me to shut up. Then it all ended. The man who had the gun came back. This time he forced me to open my eyes and see what they had done to Helen. She was unrecognizable under all the bruising and blood, her clothes were ripped and she was barely moving. Then the man shot her in the head.

All my breath left me and I fell sideways. I forgot the horrible pain in my knee. Even with my hazy vision I could see all the blood that came out of Helen's head. It was so much. It was only when the gun was pointing straight at my head did I come out of my trance.

"What are you waiting for?" the man not holding the gun said."Just do it."

The man with the gun, however, didn't shoot me. He just stood there with the gun staring at me. A sudden look came into his eyes and he lowered the gun."Throw the girl in the basement."

"What about the boy?"

"I want to have fun with him. Boys aren't so different from girls."

"I didn't know you were into boys. Whatever, you will have to do it someplace else. We can't stay here."

"I know, just dump the girl and help me carry the boy out. I doubt if he could walk."

Fresh panic had seized my heart. I wasn't just going to die, I will also suffer. Like Helen. After a while they came and picked me up and took me outside. I didn't have the strength to fight or struggle. But I didn't need to, the help that I had lost hope for finally came. They had just put me in the van when the cop arrived.

I just remember hearing more gunshots and the next memory I remember was of Charlie and my mom beside my bed in the hospital. I could feel the warmth of my mom's hand holding my own. It was a vague memory. My knee hurt and I was probably sedated so that I wouldn't freak out when I woke up. I wondered when I will wake up from this horrible vivid memory. I just wanted to wake up. So I did.

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The first thing I felt when I woke up was the wetness on my cheek. I had cried in my sleep. The second thing I became aware of was that I wasn't alone. Angela was with me, her hand holding mine. I knew what I had dreamt about and remembered that it was very vivid. But somehow I was able to lock down the emotions associated with my dream. I didn't want to cry anymore.

When Angela saw that I was awake relief flooded her eyes."Aaron! I am so glad you are awake." For a moment my eyes searched the room for Edward but he wasn't there. That disappointed me for some reason.

"What happened?" I asked as I sat up. My voice sounded normal. I hope that meant I hadn't shouted in my sleep.

"You fainted. I think you had a panic attack." She sounded worried.

"You gave us all quiet a scare."

"I am sorry. How long was I out?"

She checked the clock on the wall before she answered."It's been twenty minutes."

I looked around the room and realized I didn't know where I was."Where am I?"

"You are in the nurse's office." Another thought came into my head.

"Angela, please tell me no one called my dad." Angela looked at me with sympathy.

"They have. Dr. Cullen is also coming."

"Why is Dr. Cullen coming?"

"Edward called him. The nurse isn't here today." I wondered where Edward was. I also noticed that Angela was still holding my hand. Apparently she did too because she let of go of it. I looked at her and she gave me an awkward smile." I volunteered to stay with you. It seemed like you were having a bad dream so..."

I avoided looking at her."I am fine now." Why Edward couldn't have volunteered to stay with me but maybe it was good thing he hadn't. I had expected Angela would ask more but she didn't. She was a very good person.

I was pulled from my thoughts when Charlie and Dr. Cullen entered the room at the same time. But there was still no Edward. Then I spent the better part of the next half hour telling them that I was fine. I refused to go home with Charlie after Dr. Cullen declared me healthy. Dr. Cullen also didn't ask me about what triggered my attack. I think Charlie had a talk with him.

I wouldn't look Charlie in the eye but I knew by the sound of his voice that he was extremely worried. I just told him not tell mom anything and that he should go back to work. I told him I was fine again. He counter argued that school was about to end any way. I told him I wanted to be alone. He left very reluctantly and only when Dr. Cullen whispered something to him.

I breathed a sigh of relief. In all the commotion I hadn't even seen Angela leave. Before I went to Gym class I went to wash my first. No need for any more people to see my tear stained face. Since only fifteen minutes remained before school ended I decided I wasn't going to change my clothes for Gym. But even if I had wanted to change it wouldn't have been possible because everyone abandoned what they were doing and crowded me when I entered. I told them that I was fine. I even cracked a joke saying that the movie in Biology literally made me faint from boredom. Some even laughed at it.

When Gym class ended I hurried to the parking the lot. I hadn't wanted to go home with Charlie for two primary reasons. First, I was afraid I might have lost control over myself again and I didn't want Charlie to witness that. Second, there was no way I was leaving without seeing Edward first. He was the best distraction this town had to offer and I was also worried because of his absence.

I saw him standing next to my truck and I felt the worry lift from my shoulder. Most of it returned when I saw his serious face." I am driving you home." His voice left no room for argument but I hadn't planned for any. I felt too drained to drive so I quietly followed him to his car. If people noticed I didn't care.

His maniac driving got me home in no time. Charlie's cruiser wasn't there but I knew he would come home soon today. I turned to look at Edward only to find him staring at me with such intensity that I had to look away.

"Are you alright?" His voice was oddly low.

I just nodded.

"I am sorry, Aaron." I looked at him only to find that this time he was the one looking away.

"For what?"

"I obviously said something wrong. If I could read your mind this might never have happened."

"Edward, you didn't do anything wrong. I don't even know why I reacted that way but it wasn't your fault." It was seemed really important to me that he believe what I was saying but with Edward I could never tell. So I decided to change the topic.

"Hey Edward, are we still going to Seattle this weekend?" Apparently this was the right thing to ask. It distracted him.

"I wanted to ask you about that." Was he going to cancel?

"What?"

"If you don't mind, could we go somewhere else?"

"Where?"

"I have a place in mind." He sounded very secretive, so I was instantly curious.

"Okay."

"Aaron, are you really alright?" The concern was back in his voice.

"I am fine." He didn't look convinced by my statement.

"I can cope most of the time Edward. Today was just an exception. It wouldn't happen again."

Edward didn't say anything. After a few moments he reached in to get something from the glove compartment. He pulled a tube of the cream that's good for bruises and handed it to me."When did you get this?"

"Today." He was as cryptic as ever. I would get my answers someday.

"Thanks. How much do I owe you?" He just shook his head."You don't owe me anything. Just make sure to use it."I nodded and then remembered my truck."What about my truck?'

He shrugged."Couldn't Alice bring it here again?"

"She can't this time." My eyes narrowed. Something smelled fishy here. Edward smiled at me.

"I guess I would have to drive you to school tomorrow."

"You are one devious vampire Edward Cullen." His smile widened."You don't know the half of it."

I got out of his car then. He got out after me."Aaron, take care alright."

"I will."

"Aaron?"

"I am sorry."

Before I could even open my mouth to say something he was back in his car and pulling out of the drive way.

I just sighed and went back inside. Charlie came home before I could even drink a glass of water.

He handed me slip of paper as soon as he was through the door. It had a phone number of a Dr. Gabriel on it. I knew exactly what this was about.

"Dad, I don't need a shrink."

"Aaron, I know you will never tell me what happened but if it ever got out of hand again just get an appointment."

'Dad, I haven't had an attack like this in two years. I don't why it happened today but I am fine."

Charlie's worried expression didn't change. It seemed like no was going to believe me today.

"Okay. If I need to I will go to the doctor."

Charlie didn't let me cook dinner, instead he got take out. He asked how I got home. I told him I got a ride from Edward Cullen. His eyebrows rose at that. I told him it was because I didn't feel like driving an Edward offered. Charlie seemed happy that at least I wouldn't fight Edward anymore. He also told me thank him for calling his dad to come and check me at the school. I told him I will.

When I went to sleep that night my nightmares returned but this time Edward returned to pull me away. But Helen returned to dark place again. She could never be saved and I will never forget.

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**So, how did you like this chapter? I would love to know what my readers think about it.**

**I want to mention here that I don't like writing about dark themes but as I mentioned I couldn't write this chapter any other way.**

**P.S This is in reply to a review which I think was a joke but I will mention it anyway. Aaron is a boy not a girl. Your review made me laugh.  
**


	15. Chapter 14

**Enjoy the new chapter.**

**I would love some reviews.  
**

**I do not own twilight.  
**

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**Chapter 14**

I woke up the next day to Charlie's voice.

"Aaron? Do you want go to school today?" his voice was almost a whisper as if he was trying not to wake me up.

"Yeah, I am going to school," I said waking up and wondering why Charlie was in my room just to ask that. After a moment I remembered. He must be still worried because of what happened yesterday.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Then get ready I will be waiting downstairs."

"You can go to work Dad, I am fine. There is no need for you to wait." This was the truth. I know I had nightmares last night but somehow it was easier to lock them up this time. Maybe time was making me better. When I had my last attack I hadn't left my room for three days. But right now I felt ready to do anything.

"Aaron, how are you going to get to school?"

That's when I realized my truck was a school. Charlie must have thought he was going to drive me to school. I hadn't told him that Edward will be picking me up.

"Dad, my friend is going to pick me up. Didn't I tell you that?"

"No you didn't. Who is coming to pick you up?"

"Edward Cullen, he was the one who dropped me home yesterday and sort of volunteered to be my driver again today."

Dad nodded his head."Okay, I guess I would be leaving now. Aaron if you think school is too much for you today, just call me and I will come pick you up."

I rolled my eyes at him." Dad, I am perfectly fine but if it will ease your mind I promise I will call you if something does go wrong."

Charlie looked almost satisfied. I proceeded to rush him out the door before he started to worry again. I waved to him as he left and then just stood there in the doorway. I had a suspicion that it wouldn't take Edward long to get here after Charlie left and I was right. It didn't even take five minutes for the Volvo to appear.

Edward got out of the car and came up the steps to stand right in front of me."You aren't ready?" he said as he took in my appearance.

"No, I just woke up. I wouldn't take me long to get ready. Can I as you something?"

"Sure."

"Will it be impossible for you to enter my home if I don't invite you in?" I was honestly curios. Did the movies get anything right?

Edward just raised an eyebrow."Can I show you?" I stepped back inside my house and waited for Edward to come in behind me. I have to admit I was little disappointed when he stepped through the doorway just like any normal person would be able to. I was never going to rely on movies again.

Edward laughed at my expression as he shut the door behind him."You shouldn't put so much faith into everything you see. Real vampires are very different and far more dangerous than our portrayal in the mainstream media."

"I don't doubt you but I just can't imagine you being dangerous when I imagine you chasing rabbits to suck dry," I said with a huge smile.

"Very funny but I have never drank from a rabbit, they are too small plus Alice thinks they are too cute to kill."

"Alice thinks they are too cute to kill? And I am suppose to think you are dangerous," I said shaking my head. His eyes narrowed and then his expression changed and became almost predatory.

"How about you imagine me hunting a mountain lion? Does that make me seem more terrifying?"

"Mountain lion?" I must admit it did make him look scarier.

"They are my favorites."

"They are just giant cats," I said as dismissively as I could. I don't know if I succeeded.

"I am going to get ready now. Why don't you wait down here?" He nodded his head and I went upstairs to get ready.

After I had brushed my teeth, I applied the cream to my face. I have to say it helped a lot. In my room I put on the first thing I saw. I was running a comb through my hair when Edward knocked at my door.

"You can come in."

In my room he took his time to examine everything. Not that there was much. Just a few of my childhood drawings still up on the walls and my stuff everywhere. I hadn't really cleaned up since I came here.

"Edward, can we go to school now?"

"One minute, I am looking for something."

"What?"

"Never mind, I found it." He turned around so I could see what was in his hand.

"I should have known you would want to see that."

"So this is Mr. Lamb," he said examining the teddy bear."I thought he would be bigger." I knew I should have felt more embarrassed but I wasn't. It was really funny seeing Edward standing there holding a teddy bear smaller than his hand.

"Hand the teddy bear over. I am afraid you would eat it."

He put Lamb on my bed."Don't worry, he doesn't smell very appetizing."

We decided to go to school then even though suddenly I felt like ditching and going somewhere with Edward. But I didn't share what was on my mind with him.

In his car Edward asked me the one question that seemed like the only thing people have been asking me for days.

"Are you okay?"

I remembered his apology to me yesterday before he had left and prepared to give him an answer that would completely sweep his guilt away. At least I hoped it would.

"Edward I want to make one thing clear to you. Yesterday was not your fault. It just happened alright. I think it was something that was bound to happen someday considering my past. Sometimes your past doesn't leave you alone. Sometimes you just have to learn to live with it. I have learned to live with otherwise I would have been too depressed to get out of bed."

When I finished talking, Edward wasn't looking at me.

"Edward? Do you understand what I am saying?"

"Yes I do," he said and then looked at me with such intensity that I felt hypnotized.

"So, you are okay? You are not pretending to be fine? You are not lying?"

"I am not lying. I don't pretend when I am around you."

We stared at each other and I wasn't really sure what was going on but suddenly I wanted to feel the cold air. The car felt too hot. But Edward looked away then and the tense atmosphere around us was broken.

We reached the school in no time. However, we hadn't spoken another word to each other. This awkward situation was killing me but I didn't know what to say. I noticed my truck still parked in the school lot and I also noticed the stare of my friends and the rest of the students.

"Aaron, would you mind if I asked you some questions?"

"Sure, ask away." I would answer any question as long as that meant that this awkwardness would dissipate. I had no idea though that agreeing to answer 'some' questions meant that I would face the tsunami of questions that Edward wanted to ask.

His questions were mundane at first, even childish. He asked about my favorite color, my hobbies, if I liked any sport, what was my favorite subject, the subject I liked the least, any favorite movies or shows. I answered honestly.

I told him I didn't have a favorite color. Reading was the only hobby I had. I didn't like sports much but once I had pretended to be really interested in hockey. Edward asked me why I did that and I told him it was mainly to annoy Phil and to some extent Charlie who always wanted me to like baseball or football. They thought hockey was too Canadian a sport. I told them that if it was too Canadian I might just have to move there. They were both glad when they found out that I wasn't really interested in it.

My favorite subject that I liked most was history. My least favorite subject was anything to do with math except physics. For some reason I really understood physics. All the movies I liked were action packed or humorous. I hated watching anything that was too serious or emotional, I don't know if that made me shallow but I had a lot of seriousness in my life. I didn't always want to think about bad things. Even with TV shows I liked things like _The Simpsons_ instead of shows like _Lost_. No matter how much my mom and Phil loved that show I just didn't see it. It just felt too creepy with the music and the constant flashbacks. Almost every character had a heavy background and the story line was too hard to follow.

I spent my entire lunch answering his questions. I felt bad about ditching my friends but it was really hard not to answer his questions when he looked so fascinated by my responses. I wondered, thinking over my answers, what made them so interesting to him. He looked like a child on Halloween night that got all the candy he could ever eat or someone who found gold at the end of a rainbow.

In Biology we were going to watch the rest of the movie. A prospect I had no interest in since I had missed most of it yesterday. I think Edward was tense while we were watching the movie, expecting I presume, a repeat of yesterday. But I didn't feel like I was going to pass out and I felt guilty that I was making him worry so I sent him a note. It was only one word long.

**Relax**

I don't think it helped him much, on the contrary, it seemed like he got even more tensed. I felt like I had to do something to distract him. I sent him another note.

**Why didn't the shark eat the clown?**

Strictly speaking, I am no comedian. Even with all the funny stuff I watch the only jokes I remember are the one's Bella or Phil tell me. But it seemed like it worked because Edward returned the note with an addition of his own.

_Why?_

I quickly wrote back.

**Because he tasted funny.**

Even in the dark I could tell that he rolled his eyes. What can I say lame jokes are my specialty.

I wrote him another note.

**Your turn**

He thought for like a second before he quickly wrote something and passed the note to me. He had written a lot more than I thought.

_(I heard this when I was very young.)_

_A babu, or native clerk, in India, who prided himself on his mastery of the English tongue and skill in its idioms, sent the following telegram in announcement of his mother's death:_

_"Regret to announce that hand which rocked the cradle has kicked the bucket."_

It was funny but it seemed like a really old joke. He had heard it when he was young? A young vampire? Or a young boy? He never really told me how old he was.

**How old are you? **

His reply was quick and short.

_It's my turn to ask the questions today._

I felt annoyed with his answer. I had answered every question he had asked and yet he wasn't even going to tell me his age. I didn't send him any more notes the rest of the class. If felt childish to do so but it also felt justified. When class finally ended, Edward apologized.

"I am sorry but today it's my turn to ask the questions. I will answer your questions when it's your turn."

"And when will be my turn? Tomorrow?"

"Day after?"

I just glared at him."I am going to Gym."

In Gym they had started badminton. I was paired with Mike who asked me about my friendship with Edward. I told him he was a cool guy and not at all stuck up like everyone thinks. Mike didn't believe me and he kept asking if he had any weird habits. I told Mike what he was asking was the weirdest thing I had experienced since coming to Forks. That shut him up. I know what I said to Mike was rude but what he asked was ruder. He should give up all the gossiping.

I left Gym in an even more annoyed mood than the one I had entered it with. I walked straight to my truck not in the mood for talking. But I faced a dilemma. I didn't have my keys. They weren't in my jeans or in my bag which meant they were at home.

"Need any help?" I so did not want hear his smug voice right now.

"No."

"I see you forgot your keys."

I didn't say anything in return.

"I will drop you home, again."

"I am going to walk."

"Don't be stubborn."

"I am walking home."

"It's going to rain. You will get sick."

"I don't care."

"You are acting like a child."

"You are the one who is acting like an old lady. Hiding your age, just tell me. I answered a ton of your questions and you wouldn't tell something as trivial as your age."

"I will tell you on Saturday. I will answer all your questions I promise."

"Okay." I don't think it's possible to doubt Edward when he promises you something.

In his car Edward resumed his questioning. He was obviously ignoring our recent fight. I answered him as well as I could. His questions had become more complex. He asked me what I missed most about home. What did I like the most there?

I tried to explain to him all the little things. The vastness of the blue sky, the heat and the open desert, they were things I related with home for as long as could remember. They gave me comfort. I told him that whenever I used to come to Forks, a place the complete opposite of my home, it used to feel like I was in some alien planet. There was always something to do in Phoenix but nothing in Forks used to seem fun or worth doing.

We talked for hours and I didn't want to stop talking but soon life caught up to us. I was the one who noticed the time first.

"Wow, it's pretty late. Charlie would be home soon." The sun had just gone down. Edward looked far away as he stared at the darkened sky. But that expression lasted only for a moment.

"Your dad is almost home. I will see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, I still need a ride for tomorrow," I reminded him.

"I will be here."

His faced tensed suddenly for some reason.

"What's wrong?"

"It's a complication. You are having some company tonight."

I could see headlights approaching us but it wasn't Charlie. I got out of the car and Edward drove away.

The dark car stopped in front of our house. Someone got out from the drive's side and I instantly recognized them because of the long hair.

"Jacob?"

"The one and only," he replied as he took something out of the car. It was wheelchair. Then he went to the passenger side and helped someone out. It was his father. Billy Black. His face was suddenly clear in my head and I wondered how I could ever forget his face. But he didn't look happy to see me at all; instead he looked a little angry and afraid.

Jacob didn't believe any of his tribe's stories but hadn't he told me that his father took them more seriously, almost as laws. Had he recognized Edward's car? The answer was on his face, he had and he definitely believed that Edward was a vampire.

I didn't have much time to say anything to them because Charlie arrived right after them. Edward's mind reading had really good reception. That made a little curious about my own immunity. Why couldn't he read my mind? But I suppose I would have to take the luck I find.

I was distracted from my musings by Jacob."Are you going to stay out here all night?"

Charlie and Billy had already gone in. I must have looked very stupid just standing out here.

"Sorry, I was just lost in my own head."

"It happens." I had never met anyone who was a laid back as Jacob.

"What happened to the truck?"

"It's at my school. "

"It stopped working?"

"No. I just had to leave it there. It's a long story. It will be back in my driveway tomorrow."

I wondered if Jacob was going to ask me what happened but he didn't. Instead he asked something even more worrying.

"So who were you talking with before we came. I didn't recognize the car."

I went into the kitchen, and started to make some grilled sandwiches.

"Was it your girlfriend?" His scandalized tome made me laugh.

"No, it was just Edward Cullen."

"Oh, that explains my dad's reaction."

"It sure does. You were serious when you said he believed in the legends."

"He is just superstitious. He even got into a fight with your dad over it. Tonight is a sort of reunion."

"I hope it goes well."

"What were you doing in Cullen's car though?"

"We were talking."

"Couldn't you guys talk in the house?" He had a point why were talking in his car? The answer probably was we both hadn't noticed. That happened a lot when I was with Edward. I wondered why?

"I didn't want to invite him in, you know." Jacob laughed but I had no idea why I deflected the question.

The Blacks' were there to watch a game. Their T.V had recently gone out of commission. I tried to look interested but it convinced no one. Jacob kept me entertained though. Laughing and joking about all the weird names sportsmen had.

When the game ended both Billy and Charlie seemed to be in good spirits. Their fight long forgotten. Once they had left, Charlie asked about the truck again. I told him that I forgot the keys at home and that Edward had to drop me off again. Charlie just laughed at my forgetfulness and told me if Edward had to drop me off again to invite him for dinner.

"It's the least we could do to compensate for his chauffeur duties."

"I will." Although he wouldn't eat anything I could make for him. Maybe I could go get live elk from the forest but I think even Charlie would notice Edward drinking animal blood in our kitchen. What an absurd image it would create.

In my room I found the Chevy's keys on my desk. I put then in my bag as a precaution. There was no way I could forget to take my bag. I went to bed after applying the cream to my face again. I felt happy that after the events of yesterday I hadn't completely broken down, maybe I was finally becoming stronger.

Maybe.

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**I am going to mention right now that I will be writing sequel(s) to this story. There is plenty of time to cultivate a proper relationship. I don't want to rush into anything. **

**I also want to thank all those people who reviewed (finally the no. of reviews was more than the no. of chapters posted. Don't know why this matters to me but it does). I really appreciate them.  
**


	16. Chapter 15

**Enjoy the new chapter.**

**I am sorry I wasn't able to update last week. It just wasn't possible.**

**Thank you for the all the kind reviews.**

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Chapter 15

I was dreaming that I was I in the middle of an ocean. Literally, water as far as the eye could see and I was just swimming, trying to keep my head above the water. But I was getting tired, my limbs were slowing down. Panic seized me when my head went under the water. I started to struggle but it was no use and then - I fell out of my bed.

My sheets came down with me, I was cocooned in them. It took some time to untangle myself but I managed it. For a dark moment I thought I wouldn't be able to get out but of course that was just a childish fear. When I was free I stood up and collected my sheets of the floor thinking to myself about how weird dreams were. I had never fallen out of my bed because of a dream before.

I got ready slowly. For some odd reason I felt really tired. When I came downstairs Charlie was reading the newspaper. I got myself some cereal while Charlie read the sports section. Before leaving Charlie reminded me not to forget my keys again. I told him they were in my bag and that no matter what he would find my truck back in the drive way of our home when he came back from work.

When Charlie left I rushed upstairs and grabbed my bag, I knew Edward would be outside by the time I came down. Sure enough when I opened the front door he was standing there waiting for me.

"Still going to ask me questions today?" I was hoping he would cave in a little and allow me to ask some questions, however, it was a fool's hope.

"I have plenty of questions," he said with a smile and I wondered what else he could possibly want to ask me about. I entered his car while mentally preparing myself to face the tsunami that was Edward's curiosity. One would think that being able to read peoples mind for who knows how long he wouldn't be so obsessed over what goes on in my head. I guess no one but Edward knew the answer to that.

Edward wasn't able to ask me any questions while we drove to school – I fell asleep in his car. I woke up to Edward's hand on my shoulder lightly, shaking me lightly, and his voice calling my name.

"Aaron, wake up. We're at school now."

"I fell asleep?"

"Yeah, didn't you get enough sleep last night?"

"I think I got enough sleep. Maybe I am just a little tired."

When I got out of his car I saw that a lot of people were gathered around nearby. Most of them were guys. "What's going on?"

"They are just drooling on Rosalie's car," he said while shaking his head.

"Is it that good?" I couldn't see what the car looked like because of the crowd.

"It's the most expensive thing anyone in this town has ever seen," he looked at me for a moment before he spoke again.

"It's an M3."

"A BMW, wow," I was impressed, it seemed like his family was loaded. But that was pretty obvious in the way all the Cullens dressed too.

"You know about cars?"

"Not because I wanted to, our gym coach back home was infatuated with them. He used to talk about them with all the guys whenever he could. It sort of got into all of our heads."

He absorbed what I had just said, meanwhile Rosalie got out of her along with the rest of the Cullens. It gave me the opportunity to see her car since most of the students cleared out when they came out.

"What do you think about the car?"

"Isn't a bit too flashy? I mean since you guys want to keep a low profile," I asked curious. The shiny, red, BMW was anything but plain and normal, especially when it had Forks as its background.

"You are right about it being too flashy," he said as he watched his family disappear into the school."Rosalie doesn't mind the attention though and it's still one of our less conspicuous cars."

"You have more conspicuous cars?"

"We have more than we need," he said with a smile.

"You all are obsessed with speed, aren't you?" I asked. I remembered Edward telling me he had never gotten a speeding ticket. The rest of his family must be just as good, however, just thinking about driving at the speed Edward does makes my head spin. I don't think I would ever drive that fast. My truck's engine might explode if I did anyway.

"It makes life less boring."

"Is life usually boring?"

"Most of the time it is but not right now," he said looking at me."It's not boring when you can spend your time with someone who is the opposite of boring."

"I am glad to have made your life more enjoyable, but I guess you are going to be bored again, since I have to go to class now."

"I will survive, till lunch."

"I know."

My morning classes went by normally but in Spanish I had to endure an awkward conversation with Jessica. She had finally remembered to bring my jacket to school.

"I would have given it to you earlier but you looked busy," she said as she handed my over my jacket. It smelled curiously like a McDonald's burger and there were stains on it that weren't there before but I refrained myself from pointing any of those things out. At least she returned it to me. I guess I will return the jacket Edward had gotten me even though I had gotten used to its comfort. I didn't like the thought of parting with it especially now that my own jacket seemed so much less attractive.

I was still looking at my jacket as if it was a creature from another universe when I noticed that Jessica was still talking to me."- break down?"

"What?"

Jessica rolled her eyes as she repeated herself, "I said Edward drove you to school again today. Did your truck break down?"

"No, my truck is fine. Edward drove me home on Wednesday because I wasn't feeling well and then yesterday I forgot my keys so he drove me to school again."

"Lately you spend all your time Edward. When did you two become so close? She said as she looked me over. It was as if she was trying to figure something out.

"Umm…we just became friends. I don't know…we both have a lot in common." Okay, we didn't have a lot in common but I didn't know what else to say. I was praying that Mrs. Goff will notice us talking to each other by now but it seemed like that wasn't going to happen. Someone in the front row had completely succeeded in distracting her from teaching Spanish. She was busy talking about a childhood trip to some remote destination where she had 'a lot of fun'. Many of the students around us were having their own conversations. I was trapped.

"It certainly seems like it. You two are always talking. What does Edward like to talk about any way?" When Jessica asked that question the immediate answer my head came up with was that Edward liked talking about me. We always talk about me, don't we? I felt heat gather around in my cheeks. Wow, I was blushing. When was the last time that happened?

"He likes music," I said while I tried to force my blush away. I was fairly certain Edward liked music but I didn't know much else about him. Except his deepest secret I hadn't gotten around to knowing who Edward was as a person. The only other thing I knew for sure was that he wasn't dangerous. I felt completely safe when I was with him.

"He likes music? You both talk to each other about music?" It seemed like Jessica found it hard to believe that Edward talked about something normal like music. I wonder what her reaction would be like if she knew the truth.

"We talk about normal things. What did you think we talked about?"

"I don't know. You both seem so…" she paused.

"What?"

"You both seem so engrossed with whatever it is you are talking about. I have never seen Edward Cullen, or any Cullen for that matter, being that sociable. I have never even seen you that happy when you are with us."

I didn't know what to think about what she was saying. It's true that it doesn't take much effort to relax when I am with Edward but we have only really been talking for what? Two days? But it does seem like Jessica was on to something. If I really think about it, I would rather spend my time with Edward. Since I had met him my life seemed to have changed or rather it is still changing.

"Listen, Aaron, I want to ask you something personal." Jessica seemed shy all of a sudden and I knew from experience that that was a rare thing. Nonetheless, I was still afraid of hearing what she could possibly want to ask.

"Go ahead." Being afraid did not mean that I was any less curious.

"It was just something Tyler said the other day. He probably just said it out of jealousy but it sort of stuck in my head."

"Jessica, just say it."

"You both aren't dating, are you?"

I felt shock at first and then my cheeks burst into flames. Did people really think Edward and I were dating? Just imagining it made my cheeks burn harder.

"Tyler said that?"

"Well he said something along the lines of 'Who does Cullen think he is, charming Aaron like that? He was feeling jealous, since he likes you, you know?"

I rubbed my face with my hands. What do I do know? I probably should have handled Tyler already.

"Edward and I are just friends."

"Oh, okay. Sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable." It was bit too late to apologize for making me feel uncomfortable. She seemed relieved hearing my answer though.

"Jessica, what should I do about Tyler?"

"If you like him, then go out with him, and if you don't like him then tell him. Either way you need to make a decision. Tyler's a really good friend of Lauren. They are even going to the dance together tomorrow, she asked him out when you rejected him."

"What's Lauren got to do with anything?"

"She can be pretty vicious when some hurts her friends. She has this older boyfriend who I think dropped out of college or something. I met him once, he looks mean too."

It sounded like a match made in heaven. So basically what Jessica was telling me was to get out of this mess or else. I had no idea so much drama would ever exist in my life. Spanish ended without any work being accomplished. In Trigonometry all we did was work and so Jessica wasn't able to talk to me anymore.

When Trig ended I left the class with Jessica who was telling me to join them for the dance tomorrow. I was re-telling her the lie about Seattle when I noticed that Edward was standing outside the classroom. Jessica shot me a look and then walked a head, leaving me behind.

* * *

I turned to look at Edward. Seeing him after the conversation I just had with Jessica made me blush from embarrassment. My heartbeat sped up too. I really needed to learn to control myself.

We walked towards the cafeteria together, neither of us saying a word. I wondered if he knew anything about the rumor Tyler had decided to start and if I was going to have another awkward conversation following the one I had with Jessica. Edward was the one who broke the silence like he usually does. But he didn't talk about what the rest of the school population might be saying behind our backs. Edward only asked what he had promised to ask: more questions.

This time his questions were more centered on the people in my life. I told him about my mom's many eccentric tendencies, Phil's unhealthy obsession with Elvis Presley movies, and about Bella's amusing habits. I told him that when my mom married Phil she became more settled but she still couldn't commit to one project entirely. Some days she would be all about dancing while the next she would switch to knitting. Phil and I had some real trouble accommodating her in whatever happened to fancy her but Bella seems to go with my mother's flow. Following our mom in whatever she did, painting one week to trying to learn the piano the next. It was nice to talk about the people I loved even though it made him homesick.

Edward asked if I felt that being with Charlie was boring. I told him that life with Charlie was quieter but it wasn't bad or boring. I was more like Charlie in my habits than I was like my mother. And Charlie could be fun if given the chance. I told him about one memorable summer where Charlie had taken me to the Olympic National Park. It was an exhausting trip but we both saw everything that was there to see.

"Charlie even allowed me to swim in Lake Crescent," I said recalling the trip.

"People don't usually swim there because of the weather. Didn't it feel cold?"

"It's usually too cold to swim in the Lake but we were lucky enough to be there on one of the warmer days. It was really hard to convince Charlie to go swimming instead of fishing and since the lake is really deep. It was amazing though and he even managed to enjoy it when he wasn't worrying about me drowning."

"You enjoy swimming?"

"Yeah, I learned to swim when I was three. My mom wanted me to learn it as soon as possible because she found it very difficult to learn when she was sixteen."

Edward tilted his head to one side suddenly. It looked as if he was listening to some invisible person who was whispering in his ear.

"Edward, is something wrong?"

"I thought I heard something but it was probably my imagination," he said as he straightened himself. He still looked bothered by it, though.

"What did you hear?"

"Don't worry about it," he said as he looked towards his siblings. "If it was something my family would have noticed it too. Since they haven't, it probably alright." Edward stood up then and I followed.

"Where are you going?"I said as we left the cafeteria.

"Lunch is going to over soon and I am not going to go to class."

"Why?"

"I am going to hunt. It's basically preparation for tomorrow. I don't want to be thirsty when I am with you."

"Oh." I wanted to ask him if I could come but something told me he would reject that offer.

"Have you changed your mind about going with me?" he sounded a bit hopeful.

"No, I will see you tomorrow. It's finally going to be my turn to ask the questions."

Edward sighed but then he looked at me with a smile on his face."Before I go, there is something I am curious about," his eyes locked on mine."It's about your conversation with Jessica earlier."

My jaw dropped."You heard that?"

"Yeah, I am sorry. I eavesdropped a little," he admitted a bit sheepishly.

"How much did you hear?"

"All of it."

"So does it weird you out that people are talking about us like that?"

"No, people love to talk and this is just high school. I have lived too long to worry about the little things. Does it bother you?"

"Not really. Since I didn't date, people in Phoenix thought that about me too. So in a way I am used to it." I was really glad though that Edward didn't mind such talk. Who would have thought that a small town like Forks would be so tolerant. It's one positive thing to say about the people that lived here.

"It's a good thing this town is tolerant. Nobody gave Tyler a hard time when he came out. But that's not the thing I was curious about."

"Then what is it?"

"What were you thinking? When Jessica asked what I liked to talk about?"

Of all the things he could ask! I felt myself blush again.

"You are blushing again. You were blushing then too. That's why I am curious."

"Uh, I am not telling." There is no way I am saying that. He will definitely think I am weird.

"Now I really want to know." He was getting this look in his eyes and I knew he wouldn't stop till he got an answer.

"It was just that I don't really know anything about you, and I had just lied to her about us having a lot in common and if I didn't give her something believable, I would be caught telling a lie. I just got a bit embarrassed that's all." I was babbling a little but I couldn't possibly tell him the truth.

"I can tell that you are lying right now. Is it really that bad?"

"Just let it go Edward. I am never going to tell you."

"Tell me, please. It's driving me crazy." I could definitely see that. It must really be hard for him not to read my mind. The bell rang then and the timing couldn't be more perfect.

"I have to go to class now. Enjoy your hunt." I turned to leave but he caught me by the arm, stopping me in my tracks.

"Edward, it's too embarrassing. I will tell you anything but since my thoughts are my own… I would appreciate it if you respect my privacy." He let go of my arm but he still looked like a child who was made to swallow cough medicine. But then his expression cleared.

"I suppose I can live with not knowing and I do respect your privacy. I just wanted to know-"he stopped then and at first I didn't know why but then I saw his sister standing there.

"Aaron, meet my sister Alice." Alice Cullen, the only other Cullen whose behavior, other than Edward's, perplexed me.

"Hi," she greeted me in melodic voice before she turned towards Edward and said, "We have to go now."

"You can drive yourself home today, right?" I nodded."I will see you tomorrow, Aaron. Take care."

He left with his sister in their Volvo and I went to class. Mr. Banner was not pleased with my tardiness but at least I didn't have to witness the end of that awfully boring movie he was showing us.

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In Gym Mike was acting normal again. He was super excited about the dance and like Jessica wanted me to come with them. "I am sure you can still ask some of the freshmen girls." He said to me enthusiastically and I had to wonder why he was being so persistent after yesterday. But I told him I couldn't cancel my plans now.

I was happy to finally reach my truck when school ended but it seemed like the day had more surprises in store for me. Tyler was standing next to my truck. I remembered what Jessica had said and thought that this might be good time to clear out any misunderstandings.

"Hey Tyler, what's up?" I said to him as I opened my bag to get my keys.

"Hey, I just wanted to chat." He looked really serious for a simple 'chat' though.

"Sure, go ahead"

"So you are still going to Seattle tomorrow?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Is Cullen going with you?"

"No, why would he be?" If only I could lie this easily to Edward.

"Then do you mind if I go with you?"

"Huh?"

"Do you mind if I got to Seattle with you?"

"Aren't you going to the dance with Lauren?"

"She wouldn't mind."

"Tyler…the truth is I am not going to Seattle."It was time to come clean, almost.

"Then what are you going to do?"

"Just stay at home. I just don't like school dances." .

"We could hang out at your home." I was getting tired of this.

"Tyler I don't want to hang out with you. You are a good friend but I am-" he cut me off before I could finish.

"You know you could just admit that you and Cullen are dating."

"We are not dating. Why do you think that we are dating?"

Tyler looked at me with disbelief."I am not going to believe for one second that you are both friends. He looks at you like you are something to eat. It's disgusting."

My hands curled into fists and my anger flared."Do you want to start a fight Tyler?"

"I am not going to fight you. I don't want to hurt your pretty face."

I couldn't believe he said that. I hadn't known Tyler was so mean. By the looks of him neither did Tyler."Aaron, I am-"

"Tyler, just leave me alone."

He walked away looking apologetic and a sigh escaped me. I just wanted to go home. I opened the door of my truck when I felt someone tap me on my shoulder. I turned around ready to explode on whoever it was.

"What?" I said angrily to…Ben. He looked very worried.

"So-Sorry, I will go."

"No, Ben, wait. What's wrong?"

"It's Angela. She wants to go into the forest because she thinks she saw a girl in there. I told her it was probably her imagination but she still wants to check it out. I told her to wait till I got someone else to come with us. Will you come?"

"She says she saw a girl?" Ben nodded.

"Okay, I will come." Ben looked relieved that I said yes. I wonder who else he had asked.

I followed him to where Angela was standing right beside the line of trees that surrounded the school. She was looking towards the forest even from a distance I could tell that she was agitated.

"Angela, I bought Aaron."

"Angela, are you sure you saw someone in there?"

"Yeah, I am sure. Let's go check it out. I think the girl was hurt."

All three of us went in together. We had walked some distance from the school when Ben told Angela that she probably just imagined. Angela told him that it wasn't like that. They stood there bickering with another. I would have to agree with Ben though. I couldn't see anyone but Angela looked genuinely worried and I don't think she could have imagined such a thing. What if a girl was lost in here?

A leaf fell on my shoulder but and brushed it off. Two more leaves fell on me. I looked up, at the trees, and my heart stopped. Up high on a branch sat a girl. Her most prominent feature was her red flaming hair. She waved at me and then smiled. But the smile didn't look right on her face. Her eyes betrayed her true emotions.

I knew without a doubt that I was looking into the face of a vampire. A vampire who would without a doubt, kill Angela, Ben, and me. She kept smiling but her hunger was clear from her eyes.

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	17. Chapter 16

**I am sorry it took so long but I had some internet trouble along with the fact that I have a lot of studying to do. **

**Updates might be irregular but I will try to update weekly. If I don't please understand that it was not on purpose. **

**Thank you for reading this story.**

**I do not own Twilight.**

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**Chapter 16 **

It felt like an eternity. The time I spend staring at the vampire in the tree and she spend staring back at me. I kept wondering why Angela and Ben hadn't noticed the stranger in our midst. I didn't dare turn to look at them though, I was sure that if I did, it will be the last thing I do. My eyes were fixed on her cat like face. I understood now why Edward didn't want me to go into the forest.

I knew she would come down from her hiding spot soon and then its game over. She leaned forward and I knew she was going to leap towards me but then something changed. Her head snapped towards the direction of the school. A sneer replaced her smile and with a quick look of anger thrown towards me, she vanished.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I jerked away from it. "Aaron?" It was Angela."Are you okay?"

I couldn't answer her, my voice was gone. Ben and Angela both looked worried and for a moment I thought they had seen the vampire too. However, that wasn't the case.

"You have been staring at that tree for a while and you look…"

"Terrified," Ben finished for her.

I still couldn't find my voice but as it turned out I didn't have to."What are you guys doing here?" asked a musical voice. All three of us turned to look at the new comers. Rosalie Hale stood in front of us with a hulking Emmett Cullen right behind her. Angela and Ben looked startled at their sudden appearance but I felt relieved. They were the good vampires or at least they were vampires who weren't going to make dinner out of us. Plus I think they were the reason the red head took off without hurting anyone.

"We were looking for someone," Angela replied meanwhile Ben stared at Rosalie with an expression of awe. It was only when he noticed Emmett looking at him did he look away. He cringed a little when he noticed Angela glaring at him. Looking at them I was finally able to completely relax."Who were you looking for in the forest?"

"I saw a girl in here and I think she was lost."

"You probably saw me. Emmett here loves to wander in the forest like a child and I follow him around," she said it so convincingly that I had wonder if the acting came along with being a vampire. Emmett also smiled. "She hates it when I wonder off on my own but I just can't help it. It's in my nature. We have been out here a while and haven't seen anyone."

"But-"Ben cut her off."I told you it was nothing and yet you had to overreact." Angela looked ready to fight but I couldn't let that happen."Angela, let's go. If you still think there is someone lost out here I will go ask my Dad if someone's been reported missing."

Angela agreed to leave after that and we all started to walk back. I let Angela and Ben walk ahead while I stayed back with Rosalie and Emmett. When I was sure Angela and Ben were out of hearing range did I speak."What was a vampire doing here?"

Rosalie and Emmet looked at each other before Emmet spoke."You saw the vampire?"

"Yes, I saw her. Didn't you?" I don't think I will ever forget seeing her.

"We only got a glimpse. To tell you the truth we didn't even know she was here. She was very quiet even for a vampire. Alice had said rogues were going to pass through town but she didn't say anything about this."

A lot of what he said didn't make much sense to me but the fact that they were not aware that the rogue vampire was around bothered me."She was going to attack us, wasn't she?"

"What else do you think she was going to do? That's what all vampires ever do. They hunt. You better remember that before you meet Edward again." Rosalie said in a fit of anger. She glared at me before she walked ahead leaving me behind with Emmett.

"Sorry about that. She is just worried about what would happen if things end badly between Edward and you. I also think Alice not seeing what almost happened today is something to be concerned about."

Again I didn't understand what he meant by Alice not seeing but what he said about things ending badly between me and Edward confused me."Ending badly between us?"

"You know that he might slip and…" I understood what he meant now."I might end up a meal and that will cause trouble for your family." Emmett nodded as we finally reached the school parking lot. "I will follow you home just so you know"

"Huh? Why?"

"Just to keep an eye on you in case the rogue comes back for you." That was not a nice thought."Okay but what about Ben and Angela?"

"Rosalie and Jasper will follow them." The idea that a killer was out for our blood wasn't going to make driving an easy task but one thing seemed even worse. What would Edward do when he found out?

"Emmett, can I ask you a favor?" Emmett looked at me with raised eyebrows but didn't say anything so I continued."Can you please not tell Edward what happened."

"I don't think that's possible. What happened today was not normal. Vampires are usually more careful about hunting and my family will want to know. Anyway most of us can't hide anything from Edward," he said pointing towards his head. Oh right, the mind reading. I guess it would be impossible to keep it a secret which meant I would have to face a very worried Edward when he eventually found out. I sat in my truck with a heavy heart. I drove home knowing that my friends and I would be safe from any danger because of the Cullens.

That didn't mean I could forget the face of the rogue vampire very easily. It was suddenly very clear to me why Edward would think I was crazy for not staying away from him. But for some reason I couldn't think about Edward and the female vampire as the same. Edward was a vampire but the only time I had seen him look remotely like the creature from the forest was on the day I first met him. I still didn't feel afraid of him though. How could I when he hadn't acted on his instincts? When he had saved me? I had feeling that if Edward wasn't around my life would have been very different and not in a good way.

When I got home I locked the front door behind me and rushed to my room. I just wanted to relax but that was impossible. Today had been very tiring. I kept thinking about all the awkward conversations and the almost deadly encounter in the forest. The last one, especially, kept replaying in my head. What if Rosalie and Emmett hadn't showed up? But I didn't want to fixate on it. Nothing had happened and if the rogue had followed us I suspect I had nothing to worry about. Just thinking about Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie out there keeping watch, I felt safe. Even if I were a vampire I wouldn't want to make enemies out of them.

I tried to keep busy. I tidied up my room which took me more time than I thought it would. By the time I had finished Charlie had come home. He had finally found a cook book that was all about cooking fish. The title was FISH, FISH and MORE FISH and it was really worn out. I flipped through its pages and decided I would try something simple first but Charlie told me I didn't need to cook tonight. He was going fishing tomorrow and would bring home fresh catch. All I could think was about the fish already stored in our freezer but I didn't get a chance to argue because what Charlie said next.

"So, are you going to dance tomorrow?"

"No, dad I told you I wasn't going. That hasn't changed."

"Didn't anyone ask you? I heard it was girl's choice dance." Of course, he knew it was girl's choice, this was Forks after all. Now I can see the worry in his eyes that I had so often seen in my mothers."They did, but I just don't want to go. Dancing is not my thing and I am just …" I didn't finish and Charlie didn't push it. He did offer to stay home with me but I turned him down. I told him I had homework to finish. I could tell he still felt guilty for not allowing me to go to Seattle but I felt even guiltier lying to him but this was for the best.

After I had ordered the pizza I decided to do the laundry. I could see it was piling up but next time I will be sure to arrange some timetable for the laundry. Charlie will have to do his share of the housework. Seriously, I have no idea how my father survived living on his own. The pizza arrived when I had begun the second load. I told Charlie I will eat after I had finished the laundry.

By the time I was done Charlie was already occupied with watching a game. I sat at the kitchen table but I wasn't able to eat more than a bite. I had no appetite but I knew if I didn't eat Charlie would notice. I forced myself to eat at least eat two slices before giving up. I put the leftover pieces in the fridge and then decided to go to sleep. As I went up the stairs I wondered if Edward found out about what happened today. I wondered if he was angry or if he would cancel our plans for tomorrow. I hoped not.

I was at the top step when I heard the knock on our front door. Who could it be? I felt fear clench my stomach as my mind conjured up the image of the vampire from this morning standing outside our door. I rushed downstairs but my dad had already opened the door. The instant I saw who it was I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. It was Edward.

"Hello, Mr. Swan. I am Edward Cullen. Sorry for coming here so late but I wanted to return some notes I had borrowed from Aaron." I couldn't detect anything from his tone but I knew he was here to check up on me.

"Of course, why don't you come in?" My dad moved away from the door but Edward shook his head.

"I have to get back home soon. Aaron?" His eyes landed on me and I knew we had to talk.

"Dad, go watch you game. This will just take a minute."

The second Charlie had turned his back, the smile on Edward's face disappeared. I went outside on the front porch closing the door behind me without taking my eyes off Edward. I had never seen such a look on his face before. He looked even paler than he usually did but his eyes were the lightest I had seen in him. He must have fed more than he usually does.

We stared at each other for a moment and before I knew it the spiral notebook he was holding was falling to the floor and his arms were around me, trapping me in a hug. He was cold but surprisingly I felt warm."I am fine, nothing happened." He didn't let me go but at this point I didn't mind so much.

"I know I was just worried about you." He let me go after a while and picked up the notebook.

"Here are your notes," he said with a smile. I took them from him knowing full well that I had never given him any notes. However, when I looked inside I was stunned to find it filled with Biology notes, every page filled in my familiar writing.

"How did you do this?" I asked my shock apparent in my voice.

"It was late but I wanted to see you. This was the first plan that popped into my head." I still could wrap my head around to what Edward had done just so he could come meet me with a good excuse for my dad. He could have just broken into my room but he didn't. I was glad that he didn't. It would have freaked me out.

"So, did you find out about who the vampire was?"

"It was just a rogue; you don't need to worry about it. She is not going to bother anyone." He sounded absolutely confident so I decided not to worry about it."Well, I guess you should go now. I will see you tomorrow."

"You are still going to meet me tomorrow?" He looked confused."Even after what happened today? Aren't you even a little bit scared?"

"I was but that doesn't mean I am scared of you. I will see you tomorrow and if you bail on me I would never talk to you again."

He shook his head probably thinking that I was crazy but I didn't care.

"I will see you tomorrow, Aaron," he said with a dazzling smile on his face before his expression turned serious."Don't go in the forest without me again."

"I won't." I said looking at my feet just so I could avoid looking into his eyes. When I looked up he was gone.

I went back upstairs after I said goodnight to Charlie. In my bed the events of today replayed in my head but I pushed them away and instead prepared a mental list of questions that I would ask Edward tomorrow.

The red haired vampire returned in my dreams but before anything could happen I would find myself trapped in a familiar cold embrace that somehow managed to make me feel warm and safe.

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	18. Chapter 17

**I know that I haven't updated but a lot has been happening. Also my papers are quickly approaching so I need to study a lot. **

**There may be a huge delay in updates but I will not abandon this story. **

**I do not own Twilight.**

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**Chapter 17**

I woke up feeling well rested which, considering all that had happened yesterday, seemed like a miracle. I suspect I have to thank Edward and his family for that. I looked out the window and saw that Charlie had already left. There was a thin layer of clouds covering the sky. It looked like today was going to be a good day to be outdoors. I got dressed in a hurry and was equally quick in eating my breakfast since I had no idea when Edward was going to show up.

After breakfast I went to brush my teeth and then I had a decision to make. I looked at my pain medication, considering whether I should take them or not. My knee wasn't bothering me any more than it usually did but who knows when it could act up. I decided to play it safe and shoved the container in my pocket. I would hate it if the pain in my knee got in between my plans for today.

When I got back downstairs I only had to wait a moment before there was a knock on the door. I opened the door with a huge smile on my face. Edward was standing there looking somber but when he looked at me his expression changed. "We match," he said with a laugh. I realized he was right. We were both wearing tan sweaters over white shirts and blue jeans. But I suppose if we were rated on some scale we will be on opposite ends. It is not hard to guess on which end I would stand.

I locked the door behind me and walked towards my truck. I noticed that his car wasn't here. "Did someone drop you off?" I asked him.

"No."

"Then how did you get here?"

"It's a secret." I rolled my eyes at him. "I thought today was my day to get real answers. Now tell me how did you get here and why didn't you drive?"

"I didn't drive here today because something told me you wouldn't let me drive anyway," I nodded at that since it was true. "And I ran here." I stopped to process that. He didn't look like he ran here in fact it looked like he was ready for a photo shoot.

"You don't get tired?" He shook his head. "That must be nice." I wonder what it felt like to him, to never be exhausted. I unlocked my truck and we both got in.

"Where are we going?"

"Why don't you put your seat belt on first?" I complied with his request." Are you happy now? Can you please tell me where to go?"

"I am as happy as I can be in this…thing," I gave him a mock glare. "This thing can crush you stupid Volvo, so show some respect."

"It might be able to, if it could catch up to it." He said with a smirk on his face. "Just tell me where to go before I decide to throw you out of my truck." I knew that I would never be able to literally throw him out of my truck but I had no doubt that if I asked him to leave, he would.

"Take the one-oh-one north," he ordered. I started the truck and Edward shook his head at the sound of the engine coming to life. I drove carefully but that was because I was feeling self-conscious. I think it had something to do with driving under someone's gaze. Or maybe it was just Edward's presence and his stare that made me so much aware of my awkwardness since he was the exact opposite of awkward.

"Were you planning to make it out of Forks before nightfall?" I instinctively increased my speed because of his jibe but slowed down again. I wasn't going to let him get to me. "I am just giving you more time to decide how to dispose of me, that's all" I kept my tone even and out of the corner of my eye I saw that my statement had devastated him. It made me feel extremely guilty, so much so that I apologized immediately.

"That was not funny, Aaron."

"I know, I trust you, but you got on my nerves. This truck means a lot to me so can you please refrain from insulting it." He didn't say another word after that but even I could notice that he was tensed. I guess he was pretty worried about this trip and my big mouth probably didn't help ease his tension. But I didn't feel like I was in any danger and the thought that he believed that I was concerned me more than any actual threat to my well-being.

Despite his misgivings we were soon out of the town limits. It was only then that he spoke again. "Turn right on the one-ten." I followed his directions in silence. "Now drive off until the pavement ends."

"And then what?"

"Then we hike."

"We are hiking?"

"Yes, is that a problem?"

"Not really, I just want you to remember that I am much slower than my truck so you would have to be patient." I didn't really want him to complain about the slow pace later own.

"Don't worry, it's only five miles or so, we have plenty of time and I promise not to snap at you because of your human pace."

Five miles. I hope for his sake that he will be able to keep his promise and that it would be an easy trek. I was grateful that I brought my meds along, one bad fall and the trip would have been over for me.

"What are you thinking?" he asked impatiently.

"Just thinking about where we are going," I lied; there was no need for him to know that I was worried about my knee. I didn't really know how to handle Edward when he gets over protective. I still hadn't forgotten the incident in the parking lot when he had carried me to his car just because he thought I was unfit to drive. Maybe I was but that is irrelevant.

"It's a place I like to go to when the weather is nice."

"Charlie said the weather would be nice today." It seemed like it was going to be. As we spoke the clouds where thinning in the sky. I glanced at Edward and wondered what he would look like in the sunlight. It would have to be something big if it keeps him from coming to school.

"Did you tell Charlie about our change of plans?" Oh oh. I didn't really expect him to ask that. He didn't even know that Charlie hadn't even allowed me to go to Seattle in the first place. I couldn't lie to him about it anymore and if the narrowing of his eyes was any indication I was already under suspicion.

"Aaron, what are you hiding from me?"

It was time to come clean. "Charlie didn't give me permission to go to Seattle alone. After you had asked to come with me I didn't tell Charlie about it because I wasn't sure if we will go since you change your mind a lot."

"But people in school seem to think we are going together?" he seemed cheered by the idea. I was pretty sure that by people he meant Tyler. "Actually, I sort of told Tyler that I wasn't going to Seattle."

"No one knows you are with me?" He was angry now.

"That's not true. I bet Alice knows," I said smiling. Edward didn't look to please in fact he looked borderline furious. Before he could say anything we had reached the pavement's end. I turned off the engine, grabbed the bottle of water I had brought and got out the car, all the while ignoring the urge to look at him. It was useless avoiding him though since he was already standing in front me when I got out.

"Is Forks making you suicidal?" he demanded.

"No, I just didn't want to tell anyone about. They would have asked all these questions about it and I hate all the attention anyway. It's better for you too; I don't want to make any trouble for you."

"You don't want to make trouble for me? What are you talking about?"

"It's something Emmett said, how it would make trouble for you and your family if things…end badly between us."

"You…I don't even know…" I would have laughed at him if I had been in a humorous mood. We were after all discussing my possible death. But I wanted to calm him down.

"Listen, Edward I am sorry I didn't tell anyone and I promise next time I will tell Charlie."

"Next time?" He relaxed enough to smile his crooked smile.

"Yes Edward next time. You should know by now that I am ridiculously optimistic." At least I am more optimistic than him. I started to walk toward the trail when Edward stopped me. "Not that way Aaron." He started moving towards the dark forest.

"The trail?" I asked uncertainly.

"We are not taking the trail." This was going to be troublesome. I was even more worried about my knee now.

"I won't let you get lost," he promised. I nodded at him, unable to tell him that I wasn't worried about getting lost. Edward had taken his sweater off and knotted it around his waist. I realized after some seconds that I had been staring at him. I shook my head." Let's go, I do have to get home before Charlie."

Edward looked like he wanted to say something but he kept quiet. Instead he took the water bottle from my hand and started to lead the way. The path he took was mostly flat and when his path took us over fallen trees or boulders he helped me out in silence. It's funny but whenever he helped by lifting me up by my elbow, I could feel my pulse rise, even though he used to release me quickly the odd effect lingered. I couldn't explain it to myself except that maybe I was coming down with something.

We mostly walked in silence but occasionally Edward would ask a random question that he hadn't asked me previously. At first I was annoyed and told him that I had answered enough questions but he persuaded by saying that soon enough he would be answering all my questions. So I answered his questions. He asked if I had any pets. I told him that I had a cat once but Phil was allergic so we had to let her go. He asked me about my childhood and I told him what my mom had told me about my imaginary friend Bill, the five-year old doctor. He laughed at that, louder, than I had ever heard him. His laughter echoed around the woods.

The hike took most of the morning but he as he had promised he didn't show any sign of impatience at my speed. I had never gone this deep into the forest that surrounded Forks and couldn't help but dread being trapped in here forever. Edward, however, shared none of my ill ease. He walked confidently not once stopping to consider if we were going the right way. Pretty soon the light around us changed became brighter and I knew the sun had come out.

I grew excited and picked up my pace." Are we there yet?"

"Almost, do you see the light up ahead?"

"Should I?" I asked, squinting toward the distance.

"May be it's a bit too soon for your eyes."

"Well, I am only human."

After a hundred yards or so, I saw what he was talking about. There was light up a head and I picked up my pace again. Edward let me lead now while he followed behind, noiselessly. Soon, I stepped into the pool of light leaving behind the trees.

The meadow was perfectly round and beautiful. I realized that I had never really seen anything like this before. It was filled with wild flowers- white, violet and yellow. The sun was directly overhead and its light seemed to make the meadow glow. I walked right into the middle of it, feeling like a little child. I turned around to look for Edward, to see his expression, only to find that he wasn't there. I spotted him soon enough, under the dense shade of the canopy, staring at me with cautious eyes.

I had nearly forgotten about the reason we had come here: To see Edward in direct sunlight. I waited for him to come out of his hiding place hoping that whatever happened that it wouldn't scare me. A few moments passed and it seemed like he wasn't going to move. I started to move towards him but he raised his hand in warning so I stopped. He seemed to take a deep breath and then he stepped into the light of the sun.

At first I couldn't wrap my head around what I was seeing. Then after I was sure that what I was seeing was actually real, I was shocked. That feeling lasted a few moments. It was like diamonds were embedded into his skin. They reflected the light of the sun and made him sparkle. I was sure that if I had seen him like this in the distant past I might have been foolish enough to worship him. As it was I was grateful I hadn't fallen to my knees from the sight of him.

These thoughts were the first I had then my head cleared as it got some what used to his _sparkling._ I realized it had been pretty stupid to think Edward in the sunlight would have been frightening. I should have known that nothing Edward did would ever frighten me. He was a vampire who sparkled. Contrasting this new information that I had received about vampires to all the knowledge people thought they knew about vampires, I couldn't help but see the humor in it. In fact this time I did fell to my knees, not in awe, but because I was laughing too hard.

"What's so funny?" Edward asked, clearly caught off guard by my reaction.

"You," I said before my fit of laughter returned.

Edward sat down beside me, a glare coloring his face. When my laughter still wouldn't stop he sighed and lay down on the ground, apparently he decided to ignore me and to enjoy the sun instead. My laughter died down but giggles kept escaping me whenever the term _sparkling vampire_ crossed my mind.

I sat beside him becoming aware of the warm weather. I took off my sweater and placed it on the ground beside me. I turned my attention back to Edward who just lay there. His arms were at his side, sparkling in the light. I touched his hand, without thinking about it, just to see what it would feel like. His hand was smooth, definitely no diamonds in there.

I looked to see at his face and found his eyes fixed on me. I let his hand go, embarrassed. "So, I guess I can start asking questions now." Edward smiled. "That's why we are here."

"Why do you sparkle? Do all vampires sparkle?" I just had to ask about the sparkling.

Edward glared at me for a second before replying. "All vampires sparkle." I laughed at that. He glared at me again. "We don't know why that is. The only theory I have is that it must have attracted humans back when they could have been lured to us by believing that we were divine creatures." Edward smirked and shook his head. "As if it's necessary."

"What do you mean?"

"Vampires don't need to do much to capture their pray. Take me for example; everything about me invites you- humans- in, my voice, my face, even my _scent._ As if I need any of that." He smiled showing all of his teeth and then he disappeared. He reappeared some twenty feet away from me under the shade of huge fir. "As if you can out run me," he sounded bitter.

He then effortlessly ripped out a two-foot thick branch, using one hand and threw it just as easily, at blinding speed, shattering it against another huge tree which shook at the blow. He was in front me again, two feet away. "As if you could fight me off," he said gently.

I had frozen in shock. A part of me realized that I was feeling afraid of him and that shocked me even more. He stood as still as statue, living proof of a myth. His eyes gleaned with excitement but they dimmed soon. He sat down in front of me again. "I am sorry I lost control." He wasn't looking at me but at the ground instead. "Don't be afraid."

I calmed myself. He had been terrifying but I couldn't stay afraid of him forever. It seemed impossible to imagine not having him around. "Please Edward; I am never going to be afraid of a sparkling vampire. Give me some credit."

"Is it really that amusing?"

"It really is. It reduces you to a one on the scary scale, right next to a bunny rabbit."

"Now you are exaggerating." He said and a smile appeared on his face." You were afraid right now though."

"I was," I agreed. "Not anymore though. It's too late for that."

"I suppose it is."

"So can I continue asking questions?"

Edward nodded and lay down again. I thought for a moment about which question to ask, since there were so many. "I was wondering about what you told me that day in your car, about how I smelled good to you? I didn't really understand that other than the part that it was difficult for you to be next to me that first day in biology." He had been very clear about exactly how hard it had been for him not to kill me.

"That's a difficult question to answer."

"Try."

"You remember that I told you that no two people smell the same?" I nodded. "I don't really know how to explain it to you. You know how people like some food more than others?"

"So what I am like your favorite dish?" I smiled at that.

"Maybe that's not a good analogy."

Edward got up and began to pace. "How about an alcoholic? No. A drug addict? Maybe that's close enough."

"Edward, what are you trying to say?"

Edward stopped his pacing and sat down in front of me again. "Think of me as a drug addict and yourself as the drug-like heroin."

"So I am like a drug to you?" I teased.

"Yes, you are the only drug I want. No one else matters."

"I don't smell as appealing to others as I do to you?"

Edward nodded. "As if you were custom made just for me."

We sat there in silence as I soaked in all that he had said. The wind blew around us but the day was far from over.

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**So how was this chapter?  
**

**A recent reviewer is worried about a Jacob/Aaron/Edward triangle and I want to tell them that I don't like this triangle myself. I was going make a poll about it, just to see how many of the readers wanted this triangle. I might make one after I finish this story. Personally I was only going to make them best friends and nothing more. A love triangle would be pointless since everyone knows who the ultimate choice is going to be.**

**Also don't worry about anyone molesting or raping Aaron. THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN. **

**Well, that's all.**

**Please review.**


	19. Chapter 18

**I am sorry for the long break but my papers were going on and I really needed to concentrate on them.**

**I do not own Twilight.**

**Enjoy the chapter.**

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**Chapter 18**

_"I don't smell as appealing to the others as I do to you?"_

_Edward nodded. "As if you were custom made just for me."_

_We sat there in silence as I soaked in all that he had said. The wind blew around us but the day was far from over._

"Is it unusual for something like this to happen?"

"It's rare, I suppose. I asked my brothers about it," Edward said after a small pause. "To Jasper, you all smell the same. He is the most recent to join our family. It's hard for him to abstain at all and as such he is not really sensitive to the differences in smell, or taste."

He shot me a look that was apologetic. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I am the one who asked the question and if I felt like I couldn't listen anymore I would tell you. I just want to understand, so, don't worry about scaring me."

He nodded and then continued, eyes fixed on the blue sky." Jasper wasn't sure if he had ever found someone like that. Emmett on the other hand understood what I was talking about. He told me it happened to him twice, once stronger than the other."

"Has it ever happened to you before?"

"I think I would have remembered if it had."

"What did Emmett do?"

Edward's face grew dark, his hand clenched into a fist and he looked away. The answer was obvious. There was no way Emmett stopped to become friends with those people, whoever they were. Was that how things will end between me and Edward? For a moment I felt terror again, but only a moment. It was too late for me, whatever that meant.

"I guess you don't need to answer that."

His gaze returned to me. "Even the strongest of us fall of the wagon, don't we?"

"They certainly can but I trust you," I said returning his gaze.

"Why?"

"You have never given me a reason not to."

"So it's my fault?"

"Yeah, you are too nice."

"So that's my greatest flaw," he said smiling. I laughed at him. "Oh yes being nice is the worst."

"What's your worst flaw?"

I opened my mouth to answer him but thought better of it. "Today is my day."

Edward rolled his eyes at me and then said," Well ask away then."

I had so much I wanted to ask him but I had to prioritize. I knew the moment was now to ask the question that was eating me at the back of my mind for days: how much did Edward knew about what had happened to me. This was my worst flaw, my indecision. But I have delayed enough. I already know that I trust him. There was no need to be afraid. I just had to know how he knew and how much.

"Edward, you remember the night we met in Port Angeles?" I asked my voice hesitant as I recalled that night.

Edward's face hardened in response to my question, obviously he remembered. "Yeah I do. What about it?"

"You said something to me that night and I was wondering about it." I stopped then suddenly finding myself unable to say more. But Edward seemed to have guessed where our conversation was going.

"You mean what I said at the restaurant?"

I nodded. "I wanted ask- uh- how did- do you-?" I just didn't know what to ask.

"Do really want to talk to about it?" he asked.

I looked him in the eye and took a deep breath. "Do you know something about my past?"

"Yes."

"How much do you know?"

There was a long pause and he said," I know enough."

I thought we were over the cryptic messages. "What does that mean?"

"It means we don't need to talk about details."

I was getting frustrated. This was difficult enough as it was I didn't want it to drag on. "Just tell me Edward. When did you find out? Did someone tell you?"

Edward looked down at the grass before he spoke. "It was after your incident with Tyler's van, in the hospital, when my dad asked you about your knee."

"Your dad told you? How did he find out?"

"No, he didn't know anything. I just… grew curious. After all it was a serious injury. I just wanted to find out what happened but back then I was sure you would never tell me if I asked and I was still adamant to stay away from you. So the only option left was to find out on my own."

"So you snooped around?"

"In a way." There was something about his tone and general lack of eye contact that alerted me to the fact that Edward felt guilty.

"Edward, how did you know?"

"I may have seen your file," he replied, still avoiding eye contact.

"My file? What file?"

"The police record of what happened back in Phoenix."

It took me a second to fully understand what he was saying.

"Edward are you saying what I think you are saying?"

"I don't know what you are thinking but I think it's a safe bet to say yes."

"_You broke into police records to find out about my knee_?"

"Yeah, I hacked in."

"Edward, I think that's a felony."

"Would you report me to you father?"

"No- but- you" I was left speech less again. So he knew pretty much everything. He must have read about all the statements to the police, the evidence, he might even know what happened at the trial. Those records are pretty detailed. He knows more than I would have ever been able to tell him myself. I didn't know what to think.

"Aaron, say something."

"I don't know what to say. Why would you do that? What were you thinking?"

Edward ran a hand through his hair, his expression strained. "I don't know. I just couldn't stop myself from worrying about you. I wanted to know what happened, who would hurt you like that. I seriously didn't intend to break into the police records but after I read the article I couldn't help myself."

"Article?"

"Yeah I really had to search for it. No names were mentioned but I was positive it was you. I know I shouldn't have and it sounds extremely stalker-like and I can't believe I am telling you about it. I am really sorry. "

I rested my head on my knees. Edward had no right to uncover my secrets but I couldn't really say that I hadn't done the same. Hadn't I also discovered his secrets even when he didn't want me to; I can't really accuse him of being curious. Even though I am not sure what there was to be curious about me but I suppose I should accept the fact that Edward finds me anything but ordinary; all because he can't see into my head.

"I guess I understand why you would have done it. I mean I am not even sure if I would have told you about it but I mean I am sort of relieved that I wouldn't have to make the choice between telling you or not."

"Do you want to talk about what happened?"

I shook my head. "I would rather it stay in the past. I am fine now. I just wished…"

"That it hadn't happened," he finished for me.

I saw that the light was starting to fade and that we should probably head out soon, if I wanted to beat Charlie home. I started to stand and then winced at the sharp pain that shot out of my knee. I fought the urge to sit down again and rub my knee: here I was starting to be glad at the fact that it didn't trouble me at all today.

"Are you okay?" Edward asked. It seems he noticed my wince.

"Yeah, it's just my knee. Don't worry I brought my medication just in case." I pulled out my pill dispenser from my pocket while Edward bent down to pick the water bottle I had bought along. I took one pill but before I could put it back in my pocket Edward took the dispenser from me.

"What is it?" I asked as he read the container.

"Nothing, I was just checking what you were taking," he returned the container to me and I pocketed it. "Those are pretty addictive."

"I know they can be but I don't use them much. The result being that my tolerance for pain has grown."

"Does it hurt a lot?"

"Some days more than others," I said after a pause. "Let's go, I want to get home before Charlie gets back."

I started to head towards direction we came, the pain in my knee becoming more manageable with each step as the medication kicked in, when Edward stopped me. "Can I show you something?" he asked appearing before me.

"What?"

"The way I travel in the forest," he said, sounding excited all of a sudden.

"Should I be scared?"

"You would be perfectly safe and we will get to your truck much faster."

That didn't really answer my question but I would rather not walk all the way back, especially with the fading light.

"Okay."

Edward smiled and turned his back towards me. "Alright, get on my back."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," he said and I just knew he rolled his eyes at me.

"Edward, I am having second thoughts about this."

"I told you there is nothing to worry about. It will be over before you know it."

I took a step towards him and climbed on to his back, it felt like I was holding a rock. He didn't even bend under my weight. "Edward, if I get injured in any way I will make sure that you regret it," I said as threateningly as I could as I clung tightly to his back. Edward just snorted in reply: and then in a heartbeat he was running.

He was impossibly fast, streaking through the forest like a bullet. There was no sound and I believed there would be no evidence of his trail. His breathing didn't change; it was as if it was effortless for him to run like this. I thought that at this rate we were bound to hit the trees but we always missed them by inches. I wanted to close my eyes but found it impossible even when they burned because of the cool forest air that whipped against my face.

And then it was over. We had spent hours getting to Edward's meadow in the morning and now in a matter of minutes we were back at my truck. "Exhilarating, isn't it?" His voice was high, excited. I on the other hand was trying to get down from his back only to find that my limbs wouldn't move and that my head was spinning.

"Aaron?" he sounded anxious now. I was probably freaking him out.

"Uh Edward, I think-"I was cut off mid speech as my hands finally let go of his shirt and I fell to the ground. I sat there dazed for a moment as Edward turned to look at me. "Are you ok?" he asked concerned.

"I am fine, just a little dizzy."

"Put your head in between your knees. It will help." I listened to him and the dizziness subsided a little. I felt him sitting beside me but I couldn't look at him yet. The ringing in my ears was too loud.

"Maybe that wasn't the best idea," he said after some time.

"Yeah it wasn't," I said rubbing my forehead.

"You look as white as a ghost – no – you look as white as me!"

"Ha-Ha, very funny. I think I should have closed my eyes."

"Remember that next time." I looked up to stare at him. "Edward, there is no way in hell that I would do that again."

"You never know when you might need to take advantage of my super speed."

"No just no." He laughed at my expression. I still couldn't believe how fast we had gotten back though. I looked at Edward who sat all relaxed as if he hadn't done something amazing moments ago.

After a while I stood up and wobbled. Edward was up in a flash steadying me. "I think you should let me drive back."

"No, I am not letting you drive my truck. You hate it, there is no idea what would you do to it." Edward rolled his eyes at me and put his hand in front of me, waiting for me to hand over my keys. I just shook my head.

"Don't be unreasonable, you are little shaken up after our trip and your knee is hurting. I am not going to let you drive like this."

I sighed and handed him the keys. When I got into the passenger side of my truck I realised that I had left my sweater back at the meadow.

"Edward?"

"Yeah?" he asked as put the key into the ignition. "I forgot my sweater."

He looked at me and said," You want me to get it." I nodded.

He smirked, "You want me to use my amazing speed to get your sweater."

"Yes, I do so can you please get it." He chuckled and then he was out of the truck's cab and took off into the forest. I only had to wait a few moments and he was back, my sweater in his hand.

He got back into the cab and I reached to get my sweater but he pulled it away from me. "What's the magic word?"

"Thank you, Edward." He was such a child sometimes.

Finally we were on the road and thankfully Edward didn't push the speed on my truck. I would be really upset if he did something to my truck. I should probably give it a name but I couldn't think of one. Maybe Bella would be able to come up with one. I would definitely send a picture to my mom so that she could ask Bella.

While I was thinking all this Edward had put on an oldies station on the radio. The song playing was from the fifties and Edward was singing along, word for word. He knew every line. Suddenly I remembered the question I was aching to know the answer to, I can't believe I forgot about it.

"How old are you?"

Edward stopped singing. "Does it matter?" he asked.

"You were hoping I had forgotten weren't you?" I laughed at his expression. "It doesn't matter. I just want to know."

He sighed." I was born in Chicago in 1901."

"Really?" He nodded. "Wow, so what happened?"

"Carlisle found me in the summer of 1918. I was seventeen and dying of the Spanish influenza."

He heard my intake of breath. "It was a long time ago- I don't remember it well. Human memories fade." He looked lost in his thoughts for a moment. "I do remember what it felt when Carlisle saved me. It's not an easy thing to forget."

"What about your parents?"

"They had already died from the disease. I was alone. That's why he chose me. In the chaos of the epidemic no one would ever realise that I was gone."

I debated whether I should ask him what I wanted to know next. I didn't think he would answer but I had to ask.

"How did he save you?"

"It was difficult. Not many of us have the restraint necessary to accomplish it but Carlisle has always been the most humane, most compassionate of us… I don't think you would find his equal throughout all of history." He paused." For me it was merely very, very painful."

I could see from the set of his lips that the subject was closed. I tried to suppress my curiosity even though all I wanted was to learn more about him.

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**I know it's a lame way to finish the chapter but the part after this explained the whole story of how the rest of the Cullens came together. it was too long and I just don't have the stamina to write it. I will put it in the next chapter though. **

**I will update on Sunday and I will not take such a long hiatus again anytime soon (I will finish this story first). **

**Reviews will be appreciated very much.**


	20. Chapter 19

**Enjoy the new Chapter. Reviews will be appreciated.  
**

**I do not own twilight.**

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**Chapter 19**

His soft voice interrupted my thoughts. "He acted from loneliness. That's usually the reason behind the choice. I was the first in Carlisle's family, though he found Esme soon after. She fell from a cliff. They brought her straight to the hospital morgue, though, somehow, her heart was still beating."

"So you must be, dying, to become a…"

"No, that's just Carlisle. He would never do that to someone who had another choice." The respect in his voice was profound whenever he spoke of his father figure. "It is easier he says, though," he continued, "if the blood is weak." He looked at the now-dark road, and I could feel the subject closing again.

"And Emmett and Rosalie?"

"Carlisle brought Rosalie to our family next. I didn't realize till much later that he was hoping she would be to me what Esme was to him - he was careful with his thoughts around me." He rolled his eyes. "But she was never more than a sister. It was only two years later that she found Emmett. She was hunting - we were in Appalachia at the time - and found a bear about to finish him off. She carried him back to Carlisle, more than a hundred miles, afraid she wouldn't be able to do it herself. I'm only beginning to guess how difficult that journey was for her." He threw a pointed glance in my direction.

"But she made it," I encouraged.

"Yes," he murmured. "She saw something in his face that made her strong enough. And they've been together ever since. Sometimes they live separately from us, as a married couple. But the younger we pretend to be, the longer we can stay in any given place. Forks seemed perfect, so we all enrolled in high school." He laughed. "I suppose we'll have to go to their wedding in a few years, again."

"Alice and Jasper?"

"Alice and Jasper are two very rare creatures. They both developed a conscience, as we refer to it, with no outside guidance. Jasper belonged to another... family, a very different kind of family. He became depressed, and he wandered on his own. Alice found him. Like me, she has certain gifts above and beyond the norm for our kind."

"Really?" I interrupted, fascinated. "But didn't you tell me you were the only one in your family who could read minds."

"That's true. She knows other things. She sees things - things that might happen, things that are coming. But it's very subjective. The future isn't set in stone. Things change. "His jaw set when he said that, and his eyes darted to my face and away so quickly that I wasn't sure if I only imagined it.

I now remembered some of the more weird things that happened around Edward. Like the time he knew Jessica would forget my jacket. That might also explain how odd Alice seems sometimes. I mean I would probably be the same if I could see the future; although it might have helped me avoid a lot of pain.

"What kinds of things does she see?"

"She saw Jasper and knew that he was looking for her before he knew it himself. She saw Carlisle and our family, and they came together to find us. She's most sensitive to non-humans. She always sees, for example, when another group of our kind is coming near. And any threat they may pose."

"So that's what Emmet meant about Alice not seeing the vampire I met in the forest." Edward nodded. So it was possible even for Alice to miss things. I cold eyes of the vampire flashed through my mind and I felt relieved that Edward and rest of his family were so different in nature.

"Are there a lot of vampires?" I was curious as to how this huge secret has been kept for so long.

"No, not many. But most won't settle in any one place. Only those like us, who've given up hunting you people" - a sly glance in my direction - "can live together with humans for any length of time. We've only found one other family like ours, in a small village in Alaska. We lived together for a time, but there were so many of us that we became too noticeable. Those of us who live... differently tend to band together."

"And the others?"

"Nomads, for the most part. We've all lived that way at times. It gets tedious, like anything else. But we run across the others now and then, because most of us prefer the North."

"Why is that?"

We were parked in front of my house now, and he'd turned off the truck. It was very quiet and dark; there was no moon. The porch light was off so I knew my father wasn't home yet.

"Did you have your eyes open this afternoon?" he teased. "Do you think I could walk down the street in the sunlight without causing traffic accidents? There's a reason why we chose the Olympic Peninsula, one of the most sunless places in the world. It's nice to be able to go outside in the day. You wouldn't believe how tired you can get of night time in eighty-odd years."

"So that's where the legends came from?"

"Probably."

"And Alice came from another family, like Jasper?"

"No, and that is a mystery. Alice doesn't remember her human life at all. And she doesn't know who created her. She awoke alone. Whoever made her walked away, and none of us understand why, or how, he could. If she hadn't had that other sense, if she hadn't seen Jasper and Carlisle and known that she would someday become one of us, she probably would have turned into a total savage."

There was so much to think through, so much I still wanted to ask. But my stomach had other ideas, it growled and suddenly all I could think about was food.

"I'm sorry; I'm keeping you from dinner."

"I'm fine, really."

"I've never spent much time around anyone who eats food. I forget."

"Well you aren't the only one who forgot."

"Can't I come in?" he asked.

"Sure."

I got out of the truck and walked toward my front door, Edward followed silently behind me. I unlocked the front door and we entered. I flicked on the lights and went straight into the kitchen. I took out last night's leftovers from the fridge and put it in the microwave. I turned around to talk to Edward I question on the tip of my tongue only to find that he wasn't there.

"Edward?" I called out as I walked into the living room. He wasn't here either. Where did he go? I was about to turn around when a ghostly voice said, "Boo!" I let out a strangled scream and tripped onto the couch. I immediately started to hear laughter and found Edward. He was laughing his head off. I picked up a cushion and chucked it at his face. He caught it easily.

"That wasn't funny. Why would you do that?"

"I just wanted check if you can get scared."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

But Edward just shook his head. Before I could repeat myself I heard the unmistakable sound of a car arriving. Charlie was home.

"Do you want me to be here?"

"You can stay. I will tell Charlie I spend the day with you."

The front door open and closed and pretty soon Charlie entered the living room. When he saw that Edward was with me he looked a little shocked.

"Hey, Aaron, Edward," he said to us and then turned towards Edward. "Aaron finally invited you to dinner?"

Both Edward and I looked at him, confused. When he realized we didn't know what he was talking about he gave me a pointed look. "I asked you to invite him to dinner to thank him for all the rides he gave you."

"Oh," I said remembering. "I forgot to ask."

"So, are you staying for dinner?" Charlie asked Edward.

"I am going to go home for dinner. I just wanted to hang with Aaron so Emmett dropped me off here before going to the dance."

"Why didn't you go to the dance?"

I had started to go towards the kitchen to check on the lasagne but I stopped when I heard this question.

"Nobody asked me." I almost snorted at his answer.

"Really?" I definitely snorted at Charlie's response. The disbelief in his tone was glaringly obvious.

"I guess they all know now that I am not interested in dances."

"Well, how many girls asked you before, when you were new?" Where was Charlie going with this? I was starting to feel embarrassed for Edward (But a little part of me was curious too).

"I lost count." Charlie laughed at his reply but for some reason I felt annoyed. Why were they talking about dances and dates? I bit my lip and entered the kitchen, unable to hear more of the conversation.

The microwave timer went off and I removed the lasagne. I called Charlie and said that dinner was ready. He came in followed by Edward.

"I will be going soon. Alex is coming to pick me up."

"Isn't it a bit early to come back from the dance?"

"Alice didn't go to the dance. Only Emmett and Rosalie did."

"So I guess I will see you tomorrow Aaron." I looked at Edward confused. What were we doing tomorrow?

"Tomorrow?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, Aaron said he would be coming over, right?" I guess I must have missed that conversation but I went along with him. "Yeah, I can go right, Dad?"

Charlie looked from me to Edward with a peculiar look on his face which I didn't understand. It seemed the sort of look he would give two criminals. But Charlie allowed me to go. After a few minutes we heard the horn of a car. Alice had arrived. I went with Edward to the door.

"So I am coming over to your house tomorrow? When did we decide this?"

Edward just shrugged. "I would have come over tomorrow anyway. I just decided it would be more amusing to see you meet my family."

"Sure, amusing. I can already imagine it."

He opened the front the door and went outside. I could see Alice sitting in the driver seat of the Volvo, looking very tiny. I really wanted Edward to stay. I had so much I wanted to ask him but I suppose I could wait for tomorrow.

"What is it? You are frowning."

"It's nothing."

"Aaron." God he sounded like a parent when he said my name just then.

"It's just that I have so many questions I still want to ask."

Edward was quiet for a second and then something weird happened. Alice drove away. I looked at Edward confused. "Why did she leave?"

"How about this, I will wait in your room while you eat dinner and then you can ask me one more question and then I will leave." I chewed on his suggestion and then nodded. Something was better than nothing. "But, what about Charlie?" Edward just shook his head at my question as if I had asked something silly and the he disappeared. I guess that answered my question.

I went back inside and ate dinner with Charlie. I was a bit anxious because Edward would be upstairs in my room who knows doing what because if I knew Edward he would definitely be looking around. Charlie asked about my day and I told I went out for a bit to enjoy the nice day.

"So, no other plans for tonight?" Charlie asked out of the blue.

"No, why are you asking?"

"Just, you know, kids usually have wild parties on the night of school dances and generally get into a lot of rule breaking."

"Dad, I am not going to sneak out." But Charlie still looked skeptical. He was so totally going to check up on me tonight. "Dad, I am just going to finish my dinner and then go to bed. Being bad is not in my genes."

After dinner I went upstairs and brushed my teeth, making sure close the bathroom door a little loudly so that Charlie wouldn't think that I am jumping out of windows. When I was done I went into my room. I wondered if Edward would try to scare me again.

But Edward was not lying in wait to scare me out of my wits. He was instead lying on my bed, one hand tossing Lamb, the teddy bear into the air and other on his stomach. He was also wearing my headphones and listening to something on my player. He looked at me as I closed the door behind me and took the headphones off. "You like this band?" he asked, looking surprised.

I tried to remember what I had last played on it and recalled that it had been the CD of the rock band that Phil had given me. "Phil gave me that CD. It's not bad once you listen to it twice." Edward stopped the CD and put the headphones aside. He sat up on the bed and crossed his legs and looked at me expectantly.

"Oh right, the question," I said remembering. I thought for a moment about what I wanted to ask him and then made my decision.

"I wanted to know about your powers. Why is it that only you can read minds or why it that Alice can see the future?"

"We don't really know. Carlisle has a theory... he believes that we all bring something of our strongest human traits with us into the next life, where they are intensified - like our minds, and our senses. He thinks that I must have already been very sensitive to the thoughts of those around me. And that Alice had some precognition, wherever she was."

"What did he bring into the next life, and the others?"

"Carlisle brought his compassion. Esme brought her ability to love passionately. Emmett brought his strength, Rosalie her... tenacity. Or you could call it pig headedness." he chuckled. "Jasper is very interesting. He was quite charismatic in his first life, able to influence those around him to see things his way. Now he is able to manipulate the emotions of those around him - calm down a room of angry people, for example, or excite a lethargic crowd, conversely. It's a very subtle gift."

I thought about all the things he said trying to take in but it all felt a bit unreal to me still.

"So when did it all start? I mean that Carlisle changed you and someone changed him and so on…"

"Well, where did you come from? Evolution? Creation? Couldn't we have evolved in the same way as other species, predator and prey? Or, if you don't believe that this entire world could have just happened on its own, which is hard for me to accept myself, is it so hard to believe that the same force that created the delicate angelfish with the shark, the baby seal and the killer whale, could create both our kinds together?"

I narrowed my eyes at his analogy. "You think I am the baby seal don't you?"

"Obviously," he replied, laughing.

I was going to ask something else but he cut me off. "I should be going now. You need to sleep."

"Just one more question please."

He shook his head. "I already answered more question then we agreed upon. So now-"he stopped mid-sentence and then lunged towards me. Before I could even blink I was on my bed, my blanket thrown over me and the room in darkness. "Pretend to be asleep," Edward whispered from somewhere close. I trusted him on instinct even though my heart was in overdrive. I closed my eyes and waited.

Some seconds passed and the door opened. It was Charlie checking up on me. He stood there for a few moments while I faked sleeping and then I heard the door closing. I felt a weight on the edge of my bed. "Edward, give a guy a heads up before you throw him onto his bed. It I was cat I would have lost nine lives in one shot." Edward chuckled.

"Where would be the fun in that?"

"Goodbye, Edward. I am going to sleep now," I whispered to him.

"See you tomorrow," The weight lifted off my bed and I could make out his outline as he walked towards my window and jumped out. I yawned involuntarily and got more comfortable. Sleep came soon afterwards and the last thing I thought before going to bed was how weird it would have been if Edward and Rosalie had been a couple. I could imagine them together in my head and though the image of them together was nothing short of beautiful: it just made me feel… agitated.

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**Quite a lot of this chapter is similar to the book because you know I had mention all the detail that Edward gave about his family.**

**I will update on next you for your reviews.  
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